Paul D

E69061

Paul D is a formerly enslaved man in Toni Morrison’s novel *Beloved* whose traumatic past and complex relationship with Sethe explore the enduring psychological scars of slavery.

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Paul D (for a time) 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf character in a novel
fictional character
literary character
appearsInWork Beloved
associatedWithMotif songs and humming
tobacco tin heart
cohabitsWith Denver NERFINISHED
Sethe
confronts Beloved
surface form: the haunting presence of Beloved
countryOfFictionalSetting United States of America
surface form: United States
createdBy Toni Morrison
enslavedAt Sweet Home plantation
experiences emotional breakdown in the presence of Beloved
flashbacks to enslavement
firstPublicationContext novel Beloved (1987)
gender male
hasBackstoryEvent escape from the Georgia prison camp
forced labor in a Georgia prison camp
imprisonment in a chain gang in Georgia
long period of wandering after escape
separation from the other Sweet Home men
hasEthnicity African American
hasFormerStatus enslaved man
hasRelationshipTypeWith romantic relationship with Sethe
hasRelationshipWith Beloved
surface form: Beloved (character)

Denver NERFINISHED
Sethe
hasRoleInWork Sethe’s companion
major character in Beloved
hasStatus formerly enslaved man
hasTrait emotionally guarded
resilient
restless
traumatized
languageOfWork English
memberOf Sweet Home men
narrativeFunction embodies the legacy of slavery on Black masculinity
provides an external perspective on Sethe’s past
occupation former slave
symbolizes the difficulty of emotional intimacy after trauma
the struggle of Black men after slavery
themeInvolvement displacement and homelessness
freedom and unfreedom
masculinity under slavery
memory and repression
psychological trauma of slavery
survivor’s guilt
travelsTo 124 Bluestone Road

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sethe livesWith Paul D
this entity surface form: Paul D (for a time)
Beloved mainCharacter Paul D
Sethe relationshipWith Paul D