Double Meaning In Toni Morrison's Beloved

A theme central to the novel Beloved is both ideas of family and community. The ice skating passing is fundamental to understanding these themes in relation to the story. Like much of the rest of the novel, Morrison expresses both the positive and the negative parts of events ingeniously. As Sethe is in a state of pure euphoria and Nirvana, a seemingly dark and isolating tone looms to eventually haunt the three of them, as they are trapped with only themselves.
The positive parts of this passage work to unite Sethe, Denver, and Beloved together which in turn makes Sethe feel complete as she can now only focus on caring for her two children. In contrast, however, while this dream or Sethe’s may be true, this passage reveals the pain that will come

Additionally, while on the ice, Morrison uses repetition of the phrase “nobody saw them falling” three times. However the use of this phrase has a double meaning. On a more positive note, it signifies the euphoric situation Sethe is in—she is free from judgement and coldness of the outside world and she only must focus on loving her children: something she could never do before. All of them fell and all of them rose. The three of them use three skates: the common theme of the three is to symbolize that they are now together as one. On the other hand, the phrase also alludes to the ever present disgust geared toward the 124 residents, inherited by both Baby Suggs and Sethe. Nobody would see the group of three fall because they are isolated and ostracized from the rest of the community. This foreshadows the misfortune that Sethe once again encounters. Their isolation from the community will come to haunt them and Sethe's picture perfect vision of the future will result in another case of a small time of happiness and a long time of pain. Pushing these ideas forward, the diction that Morrison uses adds to the idea of internal happiness paired