The Relationship Arc of Paul D and Sethe
As I finished reading Beloved, the ending, which heavily features Sethe and Paul D, made me want to reflect upon their complex relationship as a key part of the novel. Paul D and Sethe share many similarities in that they both had extremely traumatic pasts.
Paul D was caught after trying to escape Sweet Home, had to watch Sixo be burned alive, and worked all day as part of a torturous chain gang. All of these experiences culminated into the reserved and closed off character of Paul D that we see throughout the novel. This characterization isn’t something that is only apparent to the reader, as Paul D describes himself as having a tobacco tin instead of a heart to hold all of his most painful emotions. Thus, his behavior at the end of the novel is key to his character development and relationship with Sethe.
As we know, Sethe also had an extremely traumatic experience as a slave, and has to deal with the complex emotion of slaughtering her children to help them avoid slavery as well. She is desperate for a partner who she can relate to, and thinks she finds it in Paul D until he says, “You got two feet, Sethe, not four” (194) after learning about her murder of her children. This moment is a sharp contrast from the ending of the novel, as we can see much Sether’s and Paul D’s perspectives truly differ. He’s not there to support her because he objectifies her as simply a provider and caregiver for her children rather than her own individual.
All of this relationship development culminates toward the end of the novel, where Paul D seems to finally view Sethe as a woman, and slightly opens his tobacco tin heart. As Sethe lies on the bed, missing Beloved, she says the Beloved was her “best thing (321).” For the first time, we see Paul D comfort her as he says “You your best thing, Sethe. You are (322).” Sethe has felt so much self-doubt up until this point, as she even questions Paul D saying this by asking, “Me? Me? (322).” As much as I’d like to think that Sethe wouldn’t need validation from Paul D to feel confident, I think this blooming approach to their relationship has finally allowed her view herself in a productive, positive light. Sethe finally feels as if someone is there to take care of and reassure her, so that she doesn’t have to constantly obsess over, doubt, and regret the past.
I think it’s also key that we see Paul D show his vulnerability a little bit when talking to Sethe, because he mentions the Thirty-Mile Woman, a significant part of his traumatic past. Seeing as Sethe and Paul D relate so much over traumatic pasts, Paul D’s open recollection of his experiences is a sign to Sethe that he is committed to her and helping her move forward. His statement at the end of the novel completely supports this idea, as he says, “me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow (322).” He sees Sethe as his future, and his actions at the end of the novel clearly show that he is ready to move forward with her.
I think Paul D's role is Sethe's life is very interesting and important, and you explained it perfectly in this post! I think him showing up to 124 was really the catalyst for the events of Beloved, and him leaving also caused character development in Sethe, as well as himself. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI also think that after everyone around you has been telling you that you did something horrible and wrong that you would want someone's validation. Like nobody else in her life was telling her that she was worthy. I also see why she would think of Beloved as the best thing because she killed her, yet she came back and they were able to love each other. I think your post was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI do love their relationship development throughout the novel, and I think you do a great job of summarizing their relationship. They're a really interesting romantic dynamic, and ultimately, I think they help each other heal from the past because they would otherwise suppress all memories of Sweet Home and past as enslaved people. I'm happy to see them grow together.
ReplyDeleteHey Rithika, I love the topic you chose for this post. Sethe and Paul D's relationship was a really interesting part of the novel, and its conclusion was a heartwarming moment that represented the needs of both characters that had never been met until then. Paul D goes through life without a family, and closes people off from his "tin can heart." Though he convinces himself he doesn't need it, reconnecting and developing a relationship with Sethe makes him realize he craves a deep and meaningful bond with another. Sethe, an incredibly strong character with an "iron will," pushes through the many traumatic events of her life with her head held high, and doesn't rely on others. However, when Paul D comes back into her life and he is able to understand what she went through at Sweet Home, she becomes more vulnerable with him, and starts to entertain the idea of relying on him. Paul D's discovery of Beloved's death momentarily derails their connection, with Paul D finding Sethe's unconditional love to be "too thick," and Sethe realizing that even Paul D doesn't understand her. However, when they eventually reconcile, it shows both of the characters exhibiting or experiencing the feelings they had sought to avoid throughout their lives, with Paul D deciding to love Sethe unconditionally, and Sethe finding herself relying on Paul D in her vulnerable state. Together, through their shared experiences, strengths, and weaknesses, they complete each other. Sorry, went on a tangent here, but I really do love their relationship in Beloved. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYes!!! I love your idea that she entertains the "idea of relying on him." We see Sethe as such an independent figure, who only has her children who rely on HER. So, to see her as dependent on someone else like Paul D truly is a very special character trait. It's unusual, which makes Paul D a special person in her life.
DeleteWe've debated love stories in the class a bit, when we were reading Hurston, and there was some disagreement as to how effective or convincing that love plot is. But for my money, this arc with Paul D and Sethe that you trace, culminating in that final scene of reconciliation, is one of the most beautiful and moving love plots in any novel I know. I get teary every single time I read the exchange where she asks if he's come to count her feet, and he says he's there to rub them--to help her heal, recover, grow. These are two profoundly damaged people, both of whose hearts have been hurt in unimaginable ways, and yet they're still willing and able to love one another and move forward with an uncertain and frightening future. They both have some complicated stuff in their past to work through, but they do share a profound connection because of their shared experience, and I'm feeling very good about their prospects when the novel draws to a close.
ReplyDeleteYou make a lot of good points, but I would disagree with the idea that Paul D rejected Sethe because he objectified her. I would say his strong reaction of disgust to what she did has more to do with his statement about her love being "too thick." He was basically saying she loved her kids too much, to go as far as murdering them, which conflicts with the idea that "he objectifies her as simply a provider and caregiver for her children rather than her own individual". I would say the base of his reaction, other than the obvious distress you'd get from learning that information, is that it strongly conflicts with his lifestyle of not opening his heart and always moving on. The idea of being with Sethe started to scare him, because he realized she's the type of person who holds onto those she loves, to the extreme.
ReplyDeletePaul D and Sethe have such a unique relationship—they've gone through so much together. Their shared histories could either make or break their relationship and it kind of does both throughout the story, but luckily ends up providing a valuable connection that helps them reconcile with their pasts and strengthen their relationship.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty hopeful for Paul D's and Sethe's relationship when he first showed up and they went to the carnival together and it seemed like Sethe and Denver might actually finally get to lead a somewhat normal life and reconnect with the community. Beloved's return kind of undid that progress, and I'm not sure if I was expecting Paul D to come back after how much Sethe's act seemed to affect him, but I'm glad he did and it definitely hints at more positive future - especially for Sethe. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good analysis of their relationship. One thing I'd like to add about how the two came about to their new mindsets at the end - I think that Sethe's own arc in having to face her trauma from what happened in the barn also contributed to her and Paul D being able to reconcile. One of the worst things to Paul was how unapologetic Sethe was. However, she had to confront her own feelings of guilt toward Beloved (as we saw when she kept explaining herself and apologizing to Beloved). I think that the fact that she too grew a lot in understanding and facing her own emotions helped Paul D be able to see the Sethe he knew in her again.
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