Bee

The bee, or honeybee, appears in Toni Morrison's Beloved as a subtle but resonant natural image, woven into the sensory fabric of the novel's world. It is most explicitly invoked in the phrase "the perfumed things honeybees love," which recurs at a pivotal moment in the narrative, and it participates in the novel's larger pattern of animal imagery that both contrasts with and comments on the human condition under slavery.

The Bee in the Natural World of Sweet Home

The bee is first associated with the natural beauty of Sweet Home, the Kentucky farm where Sethe, Paul D, and the other enslaved men lived under the relatively benign ownership of Mr. Garner. The phrase "the perfumed things honeybees love" evokes the lush, fragrant landscape of the farm, a place that, despite its horrors, held a deceptive beauty. This imagery aligns with Sethe's later recollection that Sweet Home "never looked as terrible as it was," its beauty masking the violence that lurked beneath. The bee, as a creature drawn to sweetness, becomes a symbol of the natural world's allure, which the enslaved characters both cherish and distrust.

The Bee at the Moment of Sixo's Death

The most significant appearance of the bee occurs during the capture and execution of Sixo, one of the Sweet Home men who attempts to escape. As Paul D and Sixo are surrounded by schoolteacher and his men, the narrative notes that "the air gets sweet then. Perfumed by the things honeybees love." This sensory detail creates a stark irony: the sweetness of the air, which would attract bees, contrasts with the violence about to unfold. Sixo, tied to a tree and set afire, laughs and shouts "Seven-O!" before being shot, and the bee's presence in the scene underscores the natural world's indifference to human suffering. The sweetness that draws bees is also the sweetness of the natural world that the enslaved men are denied, as Paul D later reflects that in Alfred, Georgia, he had "neither the right nor the permission to enjoy" the doves, sunlight, or other natural beauties because they belonged to the men with guns.

The Bee as Part of the Novel's Animal Imagery

The bee is one of many animals in Beloved that carry symbolic weight. The novel features a rooster named Mister, who becomes a symbol of freedom and masculinity that Paul D feels he can never attain; a dog named Here Boy, who is injured by the baby ghost; and various other creatures like turtles, snakes, and hummingbirds. The bee, like these animals, exists in a natural world that is both beautiful and indifferent. It is not a character but a presence, part of the "perfumed things" that mark moments of heightened emotion or transition. In the scene of Sixo's death, the bee's implied presence heightens the tragedy by contrasting the sweetness of nature with the cruelty of men.

The Bee and the Theme of Freedom

The bee's association with sweetness and the natural world connects to the novel's exploration of freedom. For the enslaved characters, freedom is often imagined as a return to a natural state, where one can love and enjoy the world without permission. Paul D's reflection on the doves and moonlight in Alfred, Georgia, and his later appreciation of the "perfumed things honeybees love" at Sweet Home, suggest that the natural world represents a kind of freedom that slavery denies. The bee, drawn to sweetness, embodies the desire for a life that is not controlled by others. Yet the bee is also a creature of instinct, following its nature without awareness of human suffering, which mirrors the way the natural world continues regardless of human cruelty.

The Bee's Narrative Significance

The bee's appearances are brief but strategically placed, serving to anchor the reader in the sensory reality of the novel's world. The phrase "the perfumed things honeybees love" recurs at a moment of extreme violence, creating a jarring contrast that emphasizes the horror of what is happening. It also links the natural beauty of Sweet Home to the trauma that occurred there, suggesting that the sweetness of the past is inseparable from its pain. In this way, the bee becomes a subtle motif that enriches the novel's exploration of memory, loss, and the enduring power of the natural world.