Question 3:
"Denver hated the stories her mother told that did not concern herself, which is why Amy was all she ever asked about. The rest was a gleaming, powerful world made more so by Denver's absence from it. Not being in it, she hated it and wanted Beloved to hate it too, although there was no chance of that at all." Chapter 6, pg. 62
I feel that this quote greatly describes Denver’s personality before Beloved and when Beloved first arrives. Denver is a very self-centered child, not only did she try to get Paul D to leave because of her jealousy of his connection to Sethe with Sweet Home, but she only ever wants to hear stories about herself and when Beloved does arrive she feels Beloved must have come for Denver. Since Denver felt she kept Beloved’s spirit the most company during its time in the house.
Denver shows many selfish acts in the book prior to Beloved’s arrival. When Denver describes the place she has to herself in the woods she talks about how she loved a perfume her mother had to much that she stole it and brought it there. Also, Denver reluctance towards Paul D staying isn’t just and act of selfishness but just a spoiled personality—she first breaks into tears saying Beloved’s ghost has driven everyone away from them, but once Paul D drives Beloved away from them for Denver she gets even more upset because now she really has no one. Denver had that opportunity to be thankful of both Beloved’s departure and Paul D’s company, but she just found a way to get more upset.

"'The picture is still there and what's more, if you go there -- you who never was there -- if you go there and stand in the place where it was, it will happen again; it will be there for you, waiting for you. So, Denver, you can't never go there. Never. Because even though it's all over -- over and done with -- it's going to always be there waiting for you.'' Chapter 3, pg. 36
This quote is Sethe telling Denver that she should never want to go to Sweet Home and never will, because if she does all of this will happen for her. Even though Denver feels like this is what she wants, to be apart of the conversations and that memories and this collective unconscious it isn’t, it is exactly the opposite of what Sethe ever wants to happen.
Going back to the quote, when Beloved shows up Denver’s personality changes from selfishness and self-pity to nurturing and loving, as though she is Sethe to one of her kids. Denver cleans up after Beloved, feeds her, helps wash her and even speaks for her at times. Denver shared a room with Beloved and held onto her every word—something extremely unlike Denver. As the story progresses and Sethe becomes entranced with Beloved Denver realizes she needs to step up, seeing as Sethe lost her job and Paul D left. Denver gets a job and goes back out into the community seeking help for whats left of her family. The community opens up to Denver, something they never used to do and Denver is able to help Sethe and Beloved.
This complete change in Denver is solely because of Beloved appearance in the book, and I feel as though Beloved was Denver’s door into the ‘collective unconscious’ everyone else had through slavery. Although Denver did not get hit or whipped or anything as horrible as the others, the others were changed through slavery just as Denver was changed through Beloved. Denver’s whole household was changed, she raised Beloved, loved her like she shouldn’t have and then lost her just as Sethe has her other children. Beloved was representative of rememory, slavery and the collective unconscious everyone including Denver now has.