The last of the Sweet Home men : Masculinity studies of Paul D in Beloved

Sammanfattning: This study considered Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. This essay focuses on Paul D and his journey to recover his manhood since he had been deprived of it as a slave. I have examined Paul D’s character through the lens of masculinity studies that are framed by issues of ethnicity and race. The essay also considers Beloved’s effect on Paul D and how she helped him release his repressed memories. In turn, Paul D helps the love of his life, Sethe, to heal and she too releases her repressed memories.  Finally, the essay claims that Paul D went through many stages in his lifetime; most importantly he was a slave, who becomes a free man and develops into an agent for healing.