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The Turtles' Symbolism


At first read, the turtle sex scene on page 124 of Beloved seems quite the odd metaphor to be thrown in at the end of a chapter. However, the anatomy of the turtle, a hard shell protecting a soft body, fits perfectly with the realities of Sethe and Paul D’s relationship. The description of the “embracing necks- hers stretching up toward his bending down”, embodies the strain associated with the vulnerability they gradually reveal to each other (Morrison 124). Likewise, Sethe “risking everything outside the bowl just to touch his face” reveals how she’s taking a risk loving him just as she did Beloved (Morrison 124). 
Of course, if it involves Sethe and someone else, Beloved is jealous. Perhaps witnessing the turtles’ sexual act lead her to believe that sex was a way to make people vulnerable. This idea goes many ways. Beloved’s obsession with Sethe includes sexual desire because she wants to know as much about Sethe as she can and views her with possession. It’s like Oedipus/Electra complex except it’s same-sex. The scene in the Clearing right before this, where Beloved is practically kissing Sethe’s neck is the most apparent act of Beloved’s sexual desire toward Sethe.
However, this quickly takes another turn. The next chapter discusses Paul D’s experience in the chain gang. On incredibly subtle detail is that the officers in charge of the chain gang force the men to give them blowjobs. As such, it’s a really weird jump from lesbian desire to a heterosexual act to gay rape. (There’s actually an entire book called Toni Morrison and the Queer Pleasures of Ghosts by Juda Bennett on this topic.)
Even more shocking is when Beloved asks Paul D to “touch her on the inside part” and then Paul D proceeds to cheat on Sethe with her. Resisting at first, Paul D even points this out to Beloved. In the end, from Paul D’s perspective Beloved bewitched him but from another perspective we might consider that Beloved was forced into that situation. Reasons to believe such would be that she’s ashamed of her sexual desire toward her mother because the heterosexual norm was impressed in her mind from watching the turtles. Another thing to consider would be the idea of reciprocal reaction, the male turtles strength was described as “impregnable”, suggesting that even if she tried, she couldn’t escape. 
All in all, there’s not one specific symbolic meaning behind the turtles, but it fits surprisingly well in conjunction with the other themes and details of the character’s lives and story.

Comments

  1. BiancaNovember 26, 2019 at 9:07 PM

    Another way to look at this is that the turtles represent something natural and consensual, in contrast with the varied sexual assaults and abuses depicted within Beloved. The turtles could be Beloved's first look at sexuality, though she interprets it mainly as a matter of power and vulnerability. The turtle sex scene also reminds me a bit of the corn field scene with Sethe earlier in the novel.

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