I'm pretty sure I missed a post...so here it is!

"It's a tree, Lu. A chokecherry tree. See, here's the trunk- it's red and split and wide open, full of sap, and this here's the parting for the branches. You got a mighty lot of branches. Leaves too, look like, and dern if these ain't blossoms. Tiny little cherry blossoms, just as white. Your back got a whole tree on it. In bloom." (pg. 93)

This excerpt from Amy's dialogue after discovering the whipping marks on Sethe's back unveils a corrupt nature theme that is widely used throughout the novel. Whenever nature was previously mentioned, it was always attached with a negative description, such as "rotten roses." After this passage, the reader can infer that anything in nature reminds her of her horrifying experience at Sweet Home. The openings on her back are the whipping marks that left her bleeding. This is the root of her pain, which grew the "tree" on her back. The branches are all her unresolved conflicts, both with others and herself. Looking around and seeing trees and what not reminds her of what she dealt with, and she cannot tolerate that. It's not until she embarks with Paul D on a journey to heal themselves that she starts to see things for their beauty. The imagery the author uses allows the reader to understand how Sethe cannot let go of things easily- which is why she never forgot her past in the first place, and why she cannot let go of Beloved.