Margaret Garner

The painting above is entitled, "The Modern Medea." Medea was a woman in Greek mythology who killed her own children. "The Modern Medea" is a painting by Thomas Satterwhite Noble. The lady who inspired this painting, and Beloved, is Margaret Garner. Margaret Garner was a slave who escaped to Cincinnati. Garner and her family were found by slave catchers, and she killed her 2 year old daughter to prevent her from having to go back into slavery. Margaret's plan was to kill her other children and herself, but she was stopped before this could happen. Margaret's case was so spectacular because she, and her family, were considered as Mulattos. Margaret was forced back into slavery with her husband and their youngest child. Margaret moved from place to place because of her owner, but then was sent on a boat to Arkansas. It is believed that Margaret was happy when the boat hit another and her daughter drowned. Margaret also tried to drown herself, but was unsuccessful.
To me, this story and the story of Beloved could be absurd because a mother is willing to kill her children and herself. In today's society it is absurd because murder is wrong, but Margaret, and Sethe, believe that they are helping their dead children to be free.