Schoolteacher decided not to take Sethe because he thought Sethe was crazy, he did not want her on the plantation anymore. Sethe was then put in prison and her and her family was saved from slavery. Many readers would say that Sethe was just being selfish because she did not want to be enslaved again, but we know that Sethe's decisions usually is not based on what would benefit her, but it is what will be best for others. In this case, Sethe was doing what any mother would do and thought instinctually. Throughout the book we are introduced to Sethe and other characters' lives as slaves and we know that they did not have it easy. Sethe strived to be the best mother she could be and knew if Beloved and Denver was raised on Sweet Home, they would grow up as slaves and be tormented like she was. Being a slave is difficult enough, but being a female slave was even worse. For instance, when Sethe was pregnant with Denver, Schoolteacher whipped her and stole her milk and did not care that she was carrying a child or that she had to feed a child. However, all Sethe could think about is getting her milk to Beloved. She says, "All I knew was I had to get my milk to my baby girl. Nobody was going to nurse her like. Nobody was going to get it to her fast enough, or take it away when she had enough and didn't know itNobody knew that but me and nobody had her milk but me (Morrison, 19). This shows how Sethe put her children first and fought for her own survival so she can be there to help her children survive. When Sethe wanted to bury her baby girl, she wanted to engrave "Beloved" on her dead baby's tombstone, and because she was not able to afford it, she was forced to have ten minutes of intercourse with the engraver (Morrison, 5-6). Once again, Sethe wanted to do something that maybe wouldn't literally benefit Beloved, but it was Sethe's way to make up for killing her oldest daughter.