ToniMorrisonsBeloved:BecomingaManWithoutaModel:Whattheblackmansaw

ErnstHeinrichSchiebe,English6190Literature(MarkoModiano)HT2014

BecomingaManWithoutaModel:WhatPaulD.SawinWhiteMen

WhatdoesPaulD.learnaboutbeingaman,anadultmalehumanbeing,ashegrowsup?InBeloved
(1987)byToniMorrison,PaulDisaformerslavewhoiswrestlingwithhismemories,especiallythe
beingsheandhisclosestfamilyandfriendsweretheninslaveryandwhattheyarenow.Inthis
essay,thewhitemenhesaw,andwhatithasdonetohisimageofhimself,willbediscussed.Fora
fullerpicture,parallelsandcontraststotwowellknownautobiographiesbyformerslaveswillbe
broughtup:theNarrativeofthelifeofFrederickDouglass,anAmericanSlave,WrittenbyHimself
(1845)byFrederickDouglasandUpfromSlavery:ABiography(1901)byBookerT.Washington.

PaulD.growsup,likesomanyslaves,withoutknowingwhohisfatheris.Bythecolourofhisskin,he
maysuspectorknowthatheisawhiteman,aslaveowner,whohasbeenwithhismother.Whoever
sheisthereisnomentionofhereither.Asreaders,weonlyknowthatPaulD.cametoSweethome
withtwohalfbrothers,andthatmaybeallthatheknowsabouthisoriginshimself.Washingtonwrites
IsuspectImusthavebeenbornsomewhereandatsometime1,andDouglass,whoknewhehada
whitefatherandmethismotherafewtimesasasmallchild,writesIdonotremembertohaveever
metaslavewhocouldtellofhisbirthday..2ItseemsthatPaulD.isrepresentativeofmanyyoung
slaveswhoknewnothingorverylittleoftheirbiologicalfamily,besidesthattheirmotherwasablack
slaveandthattheirfathermayhavebeenawhiteslaveowner.

Thesefewdetailssuffice,though,tosparksomeverycontradictorythoughtsinachildoryoungman
likePaulD.Ishewhiteorblackifhisfatheriswhite?Whereishisfamily,wheredoeshebelong?Did
hisfatherrapeandhurthismothertomakeherpregnant?Itcanobviouslyresultindoubtsandanger
towardsthewhitemanormenthathurthismotherandsisters.Butlikehisandhisfellowslaves
sexuallust,tragicallyturnedtowardscalvesbecausetherearenogirlsaround,theangerishardtoaim
atacertainperpetratoranditwouldhavemetmassiveresistanceinwhateverfashionhewouldgive
venttoit.PaulD.mustbecomemoreconsciousofhispowerlessnessashegrowsolder,withstronger
emotions.Evenwithhisverynarrowperspectiveincomprehensiblyfarfromthereadershemust
understandandfeelthatheistreatedwronglyandthatMrGarneristosomeextentresponsible.
However,theirbondisalsostrong,andhecantevenimaginemanumissionhisalternativeis
1

Washington,beginningofCh.1(TheProjectGutenbergEBookofUpFromSlavery:AnAutobiography,by
BookerT.Washington)
2
Douglass942

ToniMorrisonsBeloved:BecomingaManWithoutaModel:Whattheblackmansaw

ErnstHeinrichSchiebe,English6190Literature(MarkoModiano)HT2014

becomingthepropertyofsomeotherwhitemaster.3Thatiswhyhestillfeels,manyyearslaterwhen
heisfreedfromslavery,thathisworldatSweetHomefellapartwhenMrGarnerdied.Hereflectsand
comparestheperspectivesandtreatmentsofhistwomastersatSweethome,MrGarnerand
schoolteacher,asiftheseweretheonlyauthoritiesintheworld.

Theabominableconditionofbeingowned,andthespecialvulnerabilityofbeingownedbyoneperson,
isamainthemeinDouglassNarrativeofthelifeOnaclosedfarmlikeSweethome,theslaves
wereextremelyvulnerabletothepersonality,moodsandwhimsoftheirmasters.Acityslaveis
almostafreeman,comparedwithaslaveontheplantation.writesDouglass,duetosocialpressure
towardsdecencyconcerningthetreatmentandmaterielneedsoftheslaves.4FromglimpsesofMr.
Garnerscommunicationwithotherslaveowners,andfromBabySuggsperspective,welearnthatitis
notMrGarner,butschoolteacherwhomanagesthefarmaccordingtowhatmostslavescouldexpect.
ThebenigntreatmentbyMrGarnermadeBabySuggsfeelthatheactedliketheworldwasatoyhe
wassupposedtoplaywith(164).NowonderthatPaulD.withtheexperiencesfollowingMrGarners
deathfeltthattheoldmastersdesignationofthemasmenwaspurelyanillusion,aprivate
experiment.

However,ifMrGarnerwasanillusion,toPaulD.,schoolteachercanhardlybeanythingbutan
antimodelofwhatahumanbeingcanbe,manorwoman.Hetreatshisslavesmorelikeobjectsor
animalsthanasmenandwomen.HediscussesSethesanimalcharacteristicsintheteachingofhis
nephewsandheletsthemrapeanddrinkmilkdirectlyfromherbreastshecanreasonindetailonthe
valueofPaulDhispriceandputsabitinhismouthafterburningandshootingSixobecausehe
deemshimworthless5asaslave.Afterschoolteacher,PaulD.isagaintreatedlikeananimal,inthe
chaingangwithfortyfivefellowslaves,anexistencewherebreakfast(127)issomethingdreadfully
humiliating.ToPaulD.,mostwhitemenmustappearasmonstrous,andleavehimwithaneternal
suspiciontowardsthem,asuspicionreflectedasasummaryofhisgriefinhisveryfirstconversation
withSethe:If a Negro got legs he ought to use them. Sit down too long, somebody will figure out
a way to tie them up. (11)

Finkelman468.Formostslaves[beforetheCivilWar]thechanceofsomedaylosingfreedomwasremote,becausetheynevercould
imaginebeingeithermanumittedoremancipated.
4
Douglass,946
5

SchoolteachersaysofSixoThisonewillneverbesuitable.(266)

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BacktoMrGarnercouldhehavebeenapositiverolemodelforPaulD.?Perhaps,butatbestmore
likeanunlawfulstepfather.BecauseMrGarnerwasultimatelyhisowner,andbecausehewaswhitein
aculturewherecolourmatteredenormously,theremustalwayshavebeenanunbridgeableabyss
betweenthem.AftertheCivilWarandallhehadbeenthrough,PaulD.hadsomeperspective
andknewthataslaveisstillaslave,howeverkindmaybehismaster.Thelashisstillheldabovehis
headandmayfalluponhim....6DouglassexpressesitaptlywhenhewritesIwascompelledto
delivereverycentofthatmoneytoMasterHugh[...]solelybecausehehadthepowertocompelmeto
giveitup.Therightofthegrimvisagedpirateuponthehighseasisexactlythesame.7

Eventually,PaulD.hadverylittletoguidehiminbeingafreeMan.Growingup,heandallofhis
friendshadbeenslavestheyhadbeenhisbrothersbutwerehardlymorementhanhim.Hisfirst
Master,MrGarner,seemedtobeagoodman,once,whenPaulD.wasjustaboy.Butitwasan
illusion,hewasofadifferentkind,andwhenhefell,PaulD.andtheworldofhisbrothersfelltoo.
HeisreallyWhatsleft.(7)forwhatheoncewas,whenheknewSetheearlier,wasverylittleto
buildon.Nowheneedsherandtheircommonbackgroundtounderstand,healandmoveon.

Workscitedandreferredto

Bland,SterlingL.AfricanAmericanslavenarratives:ananthology.Westport,Conn:Greenwood
Press,2001.Print.

Douglass, Frederick. (1845 2003). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,
Written by Himself. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter 6th ed. Nina Baym, Ed.
NewYork:Norton.939973.
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass from
www.gutenberg.org

Finkelman,Paul.EncyclopediaofAfricanAmericanhistory,16191895:fromthecolonialperiodto
theageofFrederickDouglass.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2006.Print.

Morrison,Toni.Beloved.London:Vintage,1999.Print.

Washington,BookerT.(1901).UpfromSlavery:AnAutobiography.TheNortonAnthologyof
AmericanLiterature,Shorter6thed.NinaBaym,Ed.NewYork:Norton.16211630
TheProjectGutenbergeBookofUpFromSlavery:AnAutobiography,byBookerT.Washingtonfromwww.gutenberg.org

6
7

Bland,461.fromNarrativeofHenryBoxBrownwhoEscapedfromSlavery,WrittenfromaStatementofFactsMadebyHimself
Douglass,972.Douglassreferstoslaveownersaspirates3timesinhisNarrative.