In her novel Beloved, African-American author Toni Morrison explored the cruelty of slavery during the late 1860’s through the memories and experiences of the main characters. Throughout the novel, the dehumanization of Paul D, is shown through his memories and experience of being treated like less than an animal; that only have money value to him. Throughout the novel, Paul D’s struggles to find a sense of identity and manhood that is defined by a white men society.
As the power of authority shifts from Mr. Garner to Schoolteacher at Sweet Home, Paul D comes to know that his identity is not inherited, but one that is bestowed to him. Paul D naively believes that he and his four fellow slaves in Sweet Home are men. Garner “called and announced …show more content…
The punishment Schoolteacher bestows on Paul D for trying to escape is by forcing him to wear a collar, a bit, and leg irons, so he could not escape. Not even Mister the rooster was treated that way, Paul D wonder how he a human can be treated less than an animal. Schoolteacher sell Paul D the same way livestock are sold. Although Paul D is convinced that nothing can open his metaphorical tobacco tin, Paul D isolates himself from his emotions so he does not cause any more psychological damage to himself then he already has. Just as other slaves have had to do, Paul D represses his memories and holds back his emotions in order to physically survive. Paul D narrates “It was some time before he could put Alfred, Georgia, Sixo, schoolteacher, Halle, his brothers, Sethe, Mister, the taste of iron, the sight of butter, the smell of hickory, notebook paper, one by one, into the tobacco tin lodged in his chest. By the time he got to 124 nothing in this world could pry it open.” ( 133). Paul D spends a lot of time trying to lock away the horrible memories. Years later after Paul D’s escape from the men he is sold to Delaware, Paul D reflects how long …show more content…
Now he wondered. There was Alfred, Georgia, there was Delaware, there was Sixo and still he wondered. If schoolteacher was right it explained how he had come to be a rag doll—picked up and put back down anywhere anytime by a girl young enough to be his daughter.” (148). All the effort Paul D put into closing his tobacco tin heart is lost when Paul D sleeps with Beloved a physical manifestation of Sethe daughter. In order for Beloved to rid Paul D of her mother, Beloved controls Paul D and causes him to have sex with her. This sexual encounter with her causes his “tobacco tin” heart to open, and for him to once again question whether Schoolteacher was right about his worth as a man. Paul D’s meeting with Sethe allows him to come to terms with his doubt about his identity and manhood and it also stabilizes him. His memories of Sweet Home make him question who he really is. Paul D comes to realize that slaves are not the definer, but the defined. Paul D starts to wonder how my years he “believed schoolteacher broke into children what Garner had raised into men. And it was that that made them run off. Now, plagued by the contents of his tobacco tin, he wondered how much difference there really was between before schoolteacher and after.” ( 260). While Mr. Garner was alive, Paul D holds on to the identity of a man given to him by Mr. Garner. However, Paul D comes to realize how similar Schoolteacher and Mr.
As the power of authority shifts from Mr. Garner to Schoolteacher at Sweet Home, Paul D comes to know that his identity is not inherited, but one that is bestowed to him. Paul D naively believes that he and his four fellow slaves in Sweet Home are men. Garner “called and announced …show more content…
The punishment Schoolteacher bestows on Paul D for trying to escape is by forcing him to wear a collar, a bit, and leg irons, so he could not escape. Not even Mister the rooster was treated that way, Paul D wonder how he a human can be treated less than an animal. Schoolteacher sell Paul D the same way livestock are sold. Although Paul D is convinced that nothing can open his metaphorical tobacco tin, Paul D isolates himself from his emotions so he does not cause any more psychological damage to himself then he already has. Just as other slaves have had to do, Paul D represses his memories and holds back his emotions in order to physically survive. Paul D narrates “It was some time before he could put Alfred, Georgia, Sixo, schoolteacher, Halle, his brothers, Sethe, Mister, the taste of iron, the sight of butter, the smell of hickory, notebook paper, one by one, into the tobacco tin lodged in his chest. By the time he got to 124 nothing in this world could pry it open.” ( 133). Paul D spends a lot of time trying to lock away the horrible memories. Years later after Paul D’s escape from the men he is sold to Delaware, Paul D reflects how long …show more content…
Now he wondered. There was Alfred, Georgia, there was Delaware, there was Sixo and still he wondered. If schoolteacher was right it explained how he had come to be a rag doll—picked up and put back down anywhere anytime by a girl young enough to be his daughter.” (148). All the effort Paul D put into closing his tobacco tin heart is lost when Paul D sleeps with Beloved a physical manifestation of Sethe daughter. In order for Beloved to rid Paul D of her mother, Beloved controls Paul D and causes him to have sex with her. This sexual encounter with her causes his “tobacco tin” heart to open, and for him to once again question whether Schoolteacher was right about his worth as a man. Paul D’s meeting with Sethe allows him to come to terms with his doubt about his identity and manhood and it also stabilizes him. His memories of Sweet Home make him question who he really is. Paul D comes to realize that slaves are not the definer, but the defined. Paul D starts to wonder how my years he “believed schoolteacher broke into children what Garner had raised into men. And it was that that made them run off. Now, plagued by the contents of his tobacco tin, he wondered how much difference there really was between before schoolteacher and after.” ( 260). While Mr. Garner was alive, Paul D holds on to the identity of a man given to him by Mr. Garner. However, Paul D comes to realize how similar Schoolteacher and Mr.