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Essay / Role of Sixo in Beloved
The novel Beloved by Toni Morrison contains many secondary characters, one of the most significant of which is the character Sixo. Although the novel is based in post-Reconstruction America, much of the content comes in the form of memories of former slaves. It is in these memories that the character of Sixo is revealed. Sethe and Paul D were among six slaves who lived at Sweet Home, the other four long gone but living in their memory. Morrison appears to have intended Sixo's name and roots to be ambiguous to portray a "common man" feeling in him. Alongside this depiction, there are several Christ-like parallels that can be drawn from Sixo's character. Although only a minor character, Sixo is representative of a broader slavery ideology that is reflected in Morrison's depiction of him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayLooking at Beloved for an alternative to Paul D's assertive masculinity, we find Sixo. Sixo is drawn on a heroic scale, not defining himself by the opinions of others, nor by his judgment of their superiority or inferiority. Morrison, as Sitter notes, suggests that Sixo represents an African ideal of masculinity, emphasizing his “Africanness.” His virility does not come from the approval of others, nor from the disempowerment of others, but from an unfailing respect that he demonstrates towards everyone, living or dead, and the natural and supernatural worlds. When Sixo arranges to meet his wife thirty miles away at a stone shelter "that the red men used long ago when they thought the land belonged to them," he asks the spirit of the red men for permission to 'enter. When she wanders off and fails to meet him, he asks the wind for help and gets it. Sixo does not live in opposition to anyone or anything, but rather in harmony with the world around him. By Garner's standard of manhood, whereby the measure of a man depends on his control over others, Paul D's exodus from 124 Bluestone Road seems right, justified, but opposed to Sixo's masculinity, he "him shameful.” Meaning of the name SixoThe most important is found in the dedication at the beginning of the novel. It reads: “Sixty million and counting”. By naming a character Sixo, Morrison is paying homage to the number of slaves that were in America, which the dedication refers to. This is especially significant because Sixo embraces ideology and presents ambiguity that makes him a good representation of these people as a whole. The number six is also representative of the number of slaves present at Sweet Home. He is the sixth and among the men, he is the only one who does not have a last name. For example, at the beginning of the book they are introduced as "Paul D Garner, Paul F Garner, Paul A Garner, Halle Suggs and Sixo, the Wild Man". Having a number for a name and not having a last name gives a sense of anonymity. This suggests that Sixo is representative of the slave population as a whole. He doesn't take the owner's name like the Pauls do and doesn't have family to take the name from like Halle does. This underlines his uprootedness and, in a sense, his individuality. Additionally, calling him "the wild man" calls to mind commonly held perceptions of indigenous peoples that are more applicable to Sixo representing any enslaved person. In several instances, Sixo is described in a way that gives his character a sense of ambiguity. For example, twice her skin color is described as "indigo". The color indigo is a blue color.