The novel Beloved, written by Toni Morrison, shows the life of a family before and after slavery. The protagonist, Sethe, escaped from slavery and had a daughter, Denver, during her escape. Although Denver never experienced slavery, his life was still affected by it. Morrison uses Denver to show how, although people may be affected by a destructive experience such as slavery, they have the ability to move forward in life if they believe they can. Before Beloved reached 124, Denver was unable to learn much about the past due to Sethe's inability to relive the past. She feels left out because she isn't involved. This causes her to consume herself in the events of the past. Denver also starts very timid. When Paul D first arrives at 124, he and Sethe reminisce about the past. Denver says, “How come everyone who runs away from Sweet Home can't stop talking about it? It seems if it had been so sweet you would have stayed” (17). Sethe replies, “Girl, who are you talking to” (16). Sethe's surprised tone shows that this is not normal behavior for Denver and she is usually much more calm. Denver's outspoken behavior stems from his frustration with his ignorance of the past. Denver also isolates itself from the rest of the world before Beloved's arrival. After the incident with Nelson Lord, Denver “never returned” to Lady Jones' house (121). Denver was cut off even more from the outside world when she “walked in a silence too solid to penetrate” (121). Denver's hearing returned “from the sound of his dead sister trying to go up the stairs” (122). The thick diction used by Morrison shows that Denver's deafness was very powerful. Denver believes that Beloved has recovered the hearing for Denver, which causes Denver to turn to Beloved to solve his problems later in the novel. This makes the relationship between Denver and Beloved even more powerful because something very strong had to happen to bring Denver's hearing back and Beloved was. Unlike the other characters in the novel, Denver refers to Beloved as a real family member and not just a child which further connects the two characters. Before Beloved returns to 124 in person, Denver has a connection with its spirit and relies on its companionship..