Chapter summaries

Question 1

Summarise the events of chapter 1.

Answer 1

• Sethe and Denver live in house haunted by baby ghost
• Baby Suggs lived with them until her death
• Paul D arrives at house.
• When Paul D kisses Sethe’s scars and ghost is angered
• Paul D chases away ghost
• Denver is angered

Question 2

Summarise the events of chapter 2-3.

Answer 2

• Sethe describes giving birth or Denver aided by a white girl
• Denver thinks she seem a baby ghost kneeling next to Sethe praying
• Sethe tells Paul D about how Schoolteacher came to get her and her children, resulting in her and Denver spending time in prison.
• Paul D decides to stay with Sethe

Question 3

Summarise the events of chapters 4-6.

Answer 3

• Paul D takes Denver and Sethe to a carnival
• They find a woman (Beloved) who sleeps and drinks a lot
• Beloved attaches onto Sethe
• Sethe tells Beloved about how her mother was hanged

Question 4

Summarise the events of chapters 7-8.

Answer 4

• Sethe tells Paul D about the attack against her after she escaped and Paul D explains that Halle witnessed this, hence his lack of help in the escape.
• Beloved and Denver dance together and Denver asks Beloved not to tell Sethe her true identity

Question 5

Summarise the events of chapters 9-11.

Answer 5

• Sethe takes Beloved and Denver to the clearing and feels she is being strangled. When Beloved tries to comfort her she pushes her away
• Sethe tells the story of Suggs healing community in clearing
• Denver discusses her attempt of gaining an education with Lady Jones and her expulsion from society
• We hear about Paul’s experience in the chain gang
• Beloved has sex with Paul D

Question 6

Summaries the events of chapters 12-14.

Answer 6

• Denver becomes attached to Beloved
• Paul D associated Beloved’s manipulation with the abuse of Schoolteacher and warns Sethe of this
• Paul surprises himself and Sethe by asking her to have a baby with him
• Beloved begs Denver to drive Paul D out

Question 7

Summarise the events of chapters 15-18.

Answer 7

• Baby Suggs had her freedom bought by Halle
• Loss of Baby Suggs’ children
• Story of Sethe’s sacrifice of her daughter
• Impact of Stamp Paid grabbing Denver before she could be taken

Question 8

Summarise the events of chapter 19.

Answer 8

• Stamp Paid tells Paul D about Sethe’s crime and feels exceedingly guilty when Paul D leaves the house
• Sethe takes Beloved and Denver ice skating
• Sethe hears Beloved singing a song she made up for her daughters, helping her to connect the two.

Question 9

Summarise the events of chapter 20-23.

Answer 9

• Each women has their own monologue in which they discuss who Beloved is to them.
• In 23, all voices intertwine to discuss their love and care for one another.

Question 10

Summarise the events of chapters 24-25.

Answer 10

• Paul D reflects on his past and experiences a crisis of belonging
• He wonders whether escaping slavery was worth it
• Stamp finds Paul and tells him that Sethe’s actions were necessary and should not be held against her

Question 11

Summarise the events of chapter 26.

Answer 11

• Denver decides to seek help in the form of a job with the Bodwins
• Ella rallies the community to exorcise Beloved from the house
• Beloved is stood at the door next to a beautiful pregnant woman
• Sethe mistakes Mr Bodwin for Schoolteacher and runs at him with an ice pick but is stopped by the women

Question 12

Summarise the events of chapters 27-28.

Answer 12

• Beloved disappears
• Denver continues her education with Mrs Bodwin
• Paul D finds Sethe and encourages her to keep hope
• The family and community vow to forget Beloved as if she were a bad dream