If an existentialist were to
address the issue of slavery in the mid 19th century, he or she
would most likely nod their head in approval of the slaves who were able to
escape (or attempt escape); they would applaud their understanding that their fate is in their own hands and the fact that escaped slaves (or attempters) did
not merely sit by idly expecting their fortunes to change, accepting that
their outcome was out of their control. Sethe, the protagonist in the novel Beloved epitomizes this principle throughout the
story; when looked at in the light of this principle of existentialism (that
the individual is in control of his/her fate), Sethe’s controversial decisions
and actions can be better understood and justified.
At
first glance, it would appear that Sethe, from Toni Morrison’s Beloved, is a foil of Monsieur Meursault, from Albert Camus’
The Stranger; the way in which
Sethe (and other escaped slaves alike) deals with slavery, by taking action in
order to better her life as well as the lives of her loved ones, seems to be in
direct contrast with Meursault’s apathetic indifference to his life and the lives
of those around him. Fullfillment and happiness in Meusault’s life seems to be
easily attainable if not for Meursault’s detached and overly passive lifestyle.
This defining characteristic of Meursault is used by Camus to apply to his
overall theme that life is “absurd,” because our deaths are inevitable. As Alan
Gullette stated in his essay "Death and Absurdism in Camus' The Stranger," “In a sense, Meursault is always aware of the
meaninglessness of all endeavors in the face of death.” Therefore, Meursault,
when faced with the threat of a death sentence for an ambiguous murder that he
was not necessarily responsible for fails to take the simple, legal (truthful)
and easily executed actions necessary to, at the least, avoid the death
sentence; Meursault’s complacency leads to his demise.
In
Contrast, Sethe and other escaped slaves are placed in circumstances where
attaining happiness seems impossible, escaping the situation into freedom seems
an equally hopeless endeavor. However, unlike Meursault they have a zeal for
life that enables them to achieve what seemed impossible and hopeless. Sethe’s
love for her children and her unwillingness to succumb to the thought that her
fate lies in another’s hands not only helped she and her children escape
slavery, but also, was what incited her to kill her daughter; if Sethe had
possessed Meursault’s qualities, she and her family would have been forced to
go back to Sweet Home and face the evil’s of the “Schoolteacher.” By killing
Beloved, Sethe protected her daughter along with the rest of her children, from
what would have been a lifetime of suffering and bondage.
When contrasting the two themes of
the novel, it is easy to immediately jump to the conclusion that Albert Camus’
theme is “bad,” and that no similarities can be found between the two. However,
another layer of Camus’ theme exists; at the end of The
Stranger Meursault, at the precipice of death,
experiences great happiness; he has finally been realeased from the constant
pursuit to avoid death and is therefore able to enjoy the time he has left without worrying about death. As
Gullette put it, “The idea of death makes one aware
of one's life, one's vital being – that which is impermanent and will one day
end.” In much the same way, Sixo, when he accepts that his death is inevitable, yields great joy from his last moments in knowing that he has saved his lover
and the child that he had just conceived; he does not focus on death but on living
and giving a good life to others. Sethe accepts a similar principle; she is
able to see that death is not the worst thing in life, and, by doing so, saves
Beloved from a life filled with suffering.
