Beloved is a book that explores the concept of facing ones past and present in such a way that Sethe has to be remembered of the time she killed her newly born infant, so she wouldn't have to face the hardships of living as a slave. Until one day Beloved her infant child comes back in an almost resurrected state as a grown woman. In which then both Sethe and Denver acknowledge the babies presence as a ghost and in carnate, Soon Sethe must face her past and accept it, although she has, been trying to forget about it for so long, but continues to haunt her day after day, both physically and mentally. But throughout the book, Beloved serves as the type of redemption type character, in which she tries to regain her mothers love, not mentioning the fact that she killed her before, but soon the tables are turned as Sethe begins to get weak. And soon Sethe and Beloved have trade roles as Beloved becomes all plump and healthy, and Sethe skinny, and an almost dead and mal nourished state. But soon the book unravels itself as Beloved disappears, and Paul D returns to Sethe. In which Sethe, Denver, Paul D take longer to forget Beloved than the townspeople do. Nevertheless, after a while they realize they cannot remember or repeat a single thing she said. In fact, they cannot say with certainty that she was ever really there.
 |
| BELOVED, SETHE AND DENVER |
Now for its dramatically different counterpart, The Walking Dead, the comic book that was adapted to the TV show. Rick Grimes sheriff of his little town in Atlanta faces many hardships, after his world is turned into a post apocalyptic environment, where the living are fighting the dead, in hopes for survival. Now living in this post modern American setting, where the living fight the dead and the living, in which Rick Grimes group find themselves enslaved in this world filled with ghosts, the dead, and the living. Fear runs through the land as our Hero's face perils, such as Rick soon finds himself grieving over his dead wife Lori. Who has died right after giving child birth in season 3 episode 4, and of course re killed by her son carl. But that isn't the issue here, but what unravels afterwards, as rick finds himself falling deep into a state of insanity, as he grieves his wife's passing. Soon Rick thinks he is seeing his diseased wife in a form of a ghost, but in all reality his brain is playing tricks on him to either do good or bad in the world he is enslaved to the dead.
The similarities that take place in Both the Walking Dead and Beloved is that both ghosts are present, either it being Beloved or Lori Grimes. Both of these "ghosts" show the same attributes, such as Beloved haunts Sethe so she can be remembered of her horrible past. Or when Lori haunts rick, to remember him of the mistakes he did in past, and the life he had lived with her. Yet both take in part if the haunting of them is either good or bad, but it is up for interpretation. Rick find himself encountering Lori in either her dead or "alive" form, and at times tries to talk to her while she is wearing a white heavenly dress. This scene below, reminds me of the time when Beloved comes out of the water in a white dress, same dress Lori wears in similarity. But Lori serves a purpose in all of this, not only to haunt her husband, but to help him survive and strive past through the challenges he faces at a daily basis as a survivor. Such as Sethe is reminded of her past, but serves in some way as a form of relief, and also serves as a clean slate for Sethe to start her life all over again with her daughter Beloved. Now to its counterpart the Walking dead, everybody who is living in this post apocalyptic world, is able to start of with a clean slate, such as Sethe is able to. Yet Beloved leaves in the end for Sethe to be free of her past and no longer haunted of being a slave, such as Lori no longer appears when Rick realizes he is done right to keep his group safe, and has made peace with Lori.
Beloved is a "ghost" who brings back the past of what one has done wrong. Lori is a "ghost" who shows the remorseful side of Rick, and both the good and bad he has done in his life. Sethe has done wrong by killing her baby, while Rick has done wrong by not being there for Lori in her time of need which pretty much shows he was the cause of her death.
 |
| RICK AND "GHOST" LORI |
"During an appearance on Talking Dead, Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman clarified something about Lori’s recent appearances. When asked what the significance was of Lori appearing so spring-time fresh and white, Robert Kirkman said, “I want to take a moment to say that she’s not a ghost. No, this is not a ghost. But this is a vision of someone, you know it’s coming from a happier time. It’s coming from a piece of his memory, reminding him to do things.”
In his article, The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman Says Lori Isn’t A Ghost But Avoids Death Question, for http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/02/18/the-walking-dead-robert-kirkman-says-lori-isnt-a-ghost-but-avoids-death-question/, claims that in The Walking Dead. Lori isn't actually a ghost but a memory of a time of the past when they lived a happier marriage, and serves as a memory to do good in his life and make the right choices. Such as in Beloved, Beloved isn't truly a ghost but serves as a memory to bring back the past to Sethe, and to emphasize the idea that Sethe was a slave and still continues to be a slave to her mental state, as her past haunts her. Which brings me back to Rick Grimes, as in Beloved rick finds himself enslaved in a place where the dead roam the world, and yet is in a state of being a slave to his past as he is remembered of the good times, and he can no longer return to the world he used to live in. Anyways back to the article, the way I see Lori, is the same way he sees Lori, because the creator himself of the show and comic, Robert Kirkman, doesn't believe Lori is a ghost. As represented by the quote above. As she serves as a vessel to bring back Rick memories of the past that will help him in the future, as said by Kirkman himself, " So it's his psyche something that's going to affect him in a major way. So it makes her look as ideal as possible," Such as in beloved, Beloved is never there, but Sethe seems to believe she is present, but it could be all in her head.
Which reinforces my point in, Beloved, because the way I see it Rick grimes isn't so different from Sethe. They both believe there loved ones are physically present,but in all reality only help to bring back the past, and help them live and survive their future, and start of with a clean slate. While Lori and Beloved aren't really physically there, or are even ghosts to begin with, but are faint memories of the past that only are present a little while, either for the good or bad for the one visited by these "spirits".
