Beloved, by Toni Morrison, is filled with reoccurring symbolism that adds deeper meaning to the story. Trees are frequently mentioned and function as a symbol of safety to the lives of characters including Denver, Baby Suggs and Paul D. For three characters in Beloved, trees represent safe havens from tragic memories and painful experiences in the characters" lives.
Denver has a spot consisting of a circle of boxwood trees that form a room isolated from the rest of the world. This spot is called Denver's emerald closet. Denver is burdened with some problems in her life including Paul D staying at 124, her own lack of social companions, and disappointment in Beloved's interaction with her family. Denver deals with the pain that she feels from these struggles by escaping into the emerald closet. This circle of boxwoods forms a protective wall around Denver's private location and within these walls she feels safe from her problems in the real world. Morrison gives insight to the emerald closet with, "Veiled and protected by the green walls, [Denver] felt ripe and clear, and salvation was as easy as a wish"(31). Morrison's words "protected by the green walls" prove that when Denver is inside the walls of the trees, she is not burdened with the problems that she has in the real world. Furthermore, the use of the word "salvation" shows that by isolating Denver from her outside trouble with the trees, the emerald closet saves Denver from her turmoil. The occurrence of trees in Beloved such as those in the emerald closet shows how trees represent safe havens for characters like Denver from their painful problems.
There is another Clearing that is in the middle of the woods of Cincinnati, surrounded by trees that provide safety for Baby Suggs and further justify the symbolic relationship between trees and safe havens for characters in Beloved. The Clearing is "a wide-open place cut deep into the woods" (92) and, like the emerald closet, is isolated from the rest of the world by surrounding trees.
