Critically discuss the role of Paul D in Beloved.

Answer

Critically discuss the role of Paul D in Beloved. [NU: 2019, 22] ★★★   

Or, What is the significance of Paul D in Toni Morrison’s Beloved?

Or, How does Paul D represent trauma, love, and healing in Beloved?  

Toni Morrison’s (1931–2019) “Beloved” (1987) is a powerful novel about the haunting legacy of slavery. Among its memorable characters, Paul D stands out as one of the most complex. He is a former slave from the Sweet Home plantation. His life is marked by pain, loss, and the search for freedom. Through Paul D, Morrison explores love, trauma, manhood, and the long road to healing.     

Survivor of Slavery: Paul D represents the physical and mental suffering of enslaved Black men. In Georgia, he was chained and locked in a box each night. He was treated like an animal. He even thought that a rooster named Mister was freer than he was. In Part Two, he tells Sethe,

“You got two feet, Sethe, not four.”

This line shows how slavery dehumanized people and turned them into beasts of burden. His body bears the scars of oppression. It reminds readers that freedom was won through great pain.

A Heart Locked in Pain:  Paul D hides his feelings deep inside. He imagines his emotions locked in a “tobacco tin.” His heart is sealed shut because of trauma. Morrison writes in Part One:

“That tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be.”

This means Paul D has closed himself off from love and suffering. When Beloved seduces him, that “tin” opens, and his buried memories flood back. His “tobacco tin heart” is a symbol of how slavery destroys a man’s spirit. His journey is about finding the courage to love again.

Bond and Conflict with Sethe: Paul D shares a deep bond with Sethe, his old companion from Sweet Home. He wants to build a future with her. In Part One, he says,

“Me and you, we got more

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