Religious references imbue the novel with greater meaning; Sethe's story becomes much broader than its beginning or its end. Its story spans the Old and New Testaments, following the struggles of Cain up to the sacrifice of Christ. Sethe emerges as a universal figure, bringing together the disparate parts of the Creator, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. At the end of the novel, Morrison states that “This is not a story to be passed down” (324); however, his use of timeless imagery refutes that idea. His story becomes part of the enduring dialogue about the nature of good and evil, as well as redemption and sin. Sethe's specific experiences put a face to the experience of slavery and, along with biblical allusions that add gravity to her suffering, ensure that this will, indeed, be a story worth passing down.