The mystery of Beloved's true nature deepens in this chapter as Sethe and Denver unsuccessfully attempt to determine her origins. Beloved offers only vague responses to questions about her past, stating that she remembers a white man, a bridge, and being taken away from her mother. Such ambiguous information allows Sethe and Denver to project their own perceptions of Beloved's identity onto her. While Sethe believes she is an abused young woman, Denver is certain that Beloved is the reincarnation of her dead sister's ghost. Although Beloved's sudden disappearance and reappearance in the cold house seems to substantiate Denver's belief that Beloved is a supernatural being, Beloved's statements and behavior indicate that perhaps she is something more than just the ghost of one dead child.
The scene between Denver and Beloved in the cold house is essential to understanding the depth of Beloved's character and her influence on the other characters in the novel. First, Morrison has established Denver's fascination with Beloved, showing how Denver has altered her daily routines and even her personality to keep Beloved near her. Part of Denver's strategy in this chapter involves asking Beloved to help her carry a cider jug from the cold house. In the cold house, however, Beloved momentarily disappears and Denver panics, distressed over the loss of the one thing that has given her life meaning.
