Beloved Blog !

Chapter 19
"124 was loud..."
How is Baby Sugg's advice to "lay it all down, sword and shield" manifested in the image of the three women skating?

Baby Suggs once told Sethe to "lay it all down, sword and shield," which means to let your guard down and enjoy life. There's no reason to be hostile or defensive, just be yourself and let life happen. Sethe let life happen, she told Paul D the horrid tale of how and why she tried to murder all four of her children, and he left her. After that experience Sethe needs to have a good time, so she takes Beloved and Denver ice skating. They make the most of a pair and a half of skates and although they didn't skate very well, "nobody saw them falling." Sethe starts to cry because after having such a good time with her children and experiencing true happiness, she realizes how much she has lost in her life and allows herself to feel the pain of it. It's okay for her to break down and unleash the emotions she has tucked away, because nobody saw her fall.