Amy Denver Character Analysis in Beloved

Amy Denver is a white woman, who flees from her indentured servitude in an attempt to get to Boston and purchase some velvet. She encounters Sethe when Sethe is almost dying of exhaustion, pregnant, and running from Sweet Home. Amy cares for Sethe and helps get her to the Ohio River and freedom. She also helps Sethe give birth to Denver, who Sethe names after her.

Amy Denver Character Timeline in Beloved

The timeline below shows where the character Amy Denver appears in Beloved. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...be a white man, but it turned out to be a friendly white woman named Amy. Amy was an indentured servant who was trying to get to Boston, where she could... (full context)

Storytelling, Memory, and the Past Theme Icon

Thinking about the story of Amy, Denver enters 124 and tells Sethe about the dress she saw. She asks Sethe what... (full context)

...birth or childhood, which is why she only ever asks Sethe about the white woman, Amy. Denver notices how “greedy” Beloved is to hear Sethe tell stories. She wonders how Beloved... (full context)

The narration jumps into Denver’s story: Amy has found Sethe, who tells Amy that her name is Lu. Amy cares for her... (full context)

...the baby she’s pregnant with (Denver) must be dead. She limps to the river with Amy, where Sethe suddenly goes into labor. With Amy’s help, she gives birth in a canoe.... (full context)

When the three arrive at the Clearing, Sethe feels just as she did when Amy left her on the bank of the river. She was weak and tired, but managed... (full context)