Paul D Character Analysis Essay

Words: 1358
Pages: 6

My initial judgments of Paul D weren’t the most positive judgments at first because at the beginning of the novel, Halle seemed like such a better character than Paul D at first because they talked about how loving and kind he was. However, after reading through part 1 of the novel, I saw Paul D transform from a lost man to a broken man with a heart made of pure gold. At first Paul D lives at Sweet Home, as a lost, lonely man who is unable to develop. Sweet Home, which wasn’t even that sweet (besides the fact it was the closest thing that Paul D had to a real home), constantly made Paul D questions his masculinity. Not only does he lack the power to see the bright, positive qualities within himself, but he also constantly compares himself to Sixo and Halle, which, makes Paul D view himself as a lesser man. Paul D never question their masculinity, “that was the wonder of Sixo, and even Halle; it was always clear to Paul D that those two were men” (260). Even after Paul D leaves Sweet Home, life doesn’t get much better for him. I feel bad for everything Paul D had to go through with the Chain Gang, and his endless journey north. Paul D endured all the trauma he experienced. He was …show more content…
One very obvious metaphor implanted within the novel, is, “there is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks” (105). The conflict between the whites and blacks is the definition of slavery, so in this sense, color can represent and symbolize conflict and tension between the two races. Even Sethe says that there isn’t any good inside white people. However, in part 2 of the novel, Baby Suggs gives up on life, all she wants to do is think about color because colors are safe. She tells Stamp Paid that only colors are harmless. "Blue. That don't hurt nobody. Yellow neither" (208). While she is dying, all she thinks about are colors and she has Sethe bring them in to her. Colors are alive, but they are not false like people or