Beloved is indeed a "coming-of-age" story. While it may be thought that the "coming-of-age" aspects of the story revolves around Sethe, the aspects of "coming-of-age" revolves around Sethe's daughter - Denver. By using the various events of the story that affect Sethe, Morrison is able to create a situation where Denver is forced into leaving her home and entering the world as a woman instead of a child. At the beginning of Beloved the character …showed first 75 words of 494 total…

…showed last 75 words of 494 total…to do, Denver chose to act like her age, and stepped forth into the world to receive help. At the end of the novel Denver is seen as a grown woman. When Paul D reenters 124 it is Denver that he sees in charge, instead of Sethe, and Denver speaks with the confidence that an adult would. The change that is shown in the character of Denver does indeed show that Beloved is a "coming-of-age" story.