The powerful symbol of water in BelovedWater. It expresses its power in the form of hurricanes and flash floods. He shows his kindness by washing the dirt off a child's crusty knee. Water has been used to quench the thirst of many a craving throat; and it was the cause of death for those who unfavorably crossed his path. It possesses the power of total destruction, but holds the basis of all life. In general, water symbolizes cleansing and renewal. In the Bible, water was used in Baptism, purifying the soul from original sin and offering a new life in the light of God. Water in itself is a natural purifier, washing away dirt from our bodies. Water is a symbol of transition from dirty to clean. In Beloved, Morrison uses water to introduce a transition between stages of a character's life. Water separates one phase of a character's life from another. Paul D.'s escape from Alfred, Georgia was directly aided and abetted by the rain that fell in recent weeks. Paul D. was sent by Alfred George because he tried to kill Brandywine, his master after teacher. In Alfred, he worked on a chain gang with forty-five other captured slaves. They worked all day with "Georgia's finest hand-forged chain" to thread them together. They slept in a cell dug into the earth. A man's breaking point was questioned every day. It was hell for Paul D. Then it rained. Water gave Paul D. his freedom. The rain raised the water level in the underground cell so they could dive, "down into the mud under the bars, groping blindly," in search of the other side (p. 110). One by one each of the forty... half of the paper ......d that the Beloved was Sethe's son. Sethe broke the water to represent Beloved's second birth. Sethe was whole again. He had found the child he had lost. The water symbolized the beginning of her life with the Beloved. Sethe could now begin sharing her life with Beloved again. He could ice skate, go for walks or simply start loving his son again. Beloved depicts the struggle and challenge of former slaves trying to grapple with an unforgettable past. Their courageous journey takes them through tragic moments full of torment and torture, and joyful moments full of love and tenderness. The beloved teaches the lesson of never giving up. Water denotes a change for the better – from dirty to clean – in which a person recovers from life's tragedies. It symbolizes hope and reassurance that life will get better.