"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (127-187 pp)

   Beloved walked on the heels of Sethe; when the woman returned she was in the window, then the porch, the path, the road and finally further and further Beloved went to meet Sethe and walk with her. Of course Sethe was flattered by Beloved's relation. One evening when everybody was busy, suddenly the young woman asked Sethe about her diamonds. And the woman told about her crystal earings that she had gotten from the lady she had worked for; about her former life in the Sweet Home, her modest marriage. Having listened the story with sincere interest, Beloved asked another question: about Sethe's mother. Denver heard her grandmother for the first time, as her mother tried not to remember about the past. But now Sethe really wanted to recollect that time and told everything in details. Beloved took every opportunity to ask some questions, and Denver noticed how she was beaming with happiness while listening to Sethe's stories. But now the girl noticed another thing, that was the question about earings, how she got to know about them.

   Beloved had been with the family for almost five weeks, and they knew nothing about her, that annoyed Paul D. He tried to learn more about her, asking different questions, but the woman paid no attention either to him, or his questions. Thus the man understood that Beloved's shining (not only Denver noticed that) wasn't for him, but he didn't know for whom, as he either didn't know the woman who lit up for nobody. 

   Beloved told Denver about her shining, dedicated to Sethe, the only person she had returned to, and asked the girl told about her birth. And Denver began to construct out of short stories that she had heard from her mother or grandmother. The girl thought she owed somebody something, but didn't know whom and what. Only now, telling the story, Denver understood that she had to help homeless and helpless Beloved, like a white young woman (Amy Denver) had helped Sethe to give birth to her.