In Toni Morrison's Beloved, the character of Sethe seems to be stuck in one reality. Her past. She is almost held prisoner to it. This constructs her reality in the present. She sees things through her views from the past. She is haunted by the ghost of Beloved, her daughter whom she killed to save from slavery, who transforms into a person and ends up living in Sethe's house with her. Beloved represents the past. She reminds Sethe of the past whenever she is around and then Sethe is consumed by the past. This defines what reality she chooses to live in. Why does Sethe let her past construct her reality? Whatever that reason maybe, the point is that, Sethe's reality is constructed by her past because she allows it to be. Even though, her past is scaring and very traumatic beyond what most will ever experience, she chooses to let it be her focus. Making her past her present reality.
