Paul D's Lack of Adoration

                One of the things I find most intriguing when reading Beloved is how Beloved invokes such different responses, but equally powerfully, from each family member.  These responses range from adoration to a strong dislike, enough to want to kick Beloved out of the house.  Paul D’s response to Beloved is the one I find most interesting because it differs greatly from Sethe and Denver’s reaction.  Paul D is not captivated by Beloved like the others and does not try to endlessly please her.  In fact, he is suspicious of her stating that, “Something funny ‘bout that gal” (56).  I think that Paul D’s dislike of Beloved stems from two distinct reasons.

            The first reason I believe Paul D dislikes Beloved is because she is taking Sethe’s attention away from him.  Paul D has not seen Sethe for eighteen years and has traveled through harsh conditions to end up with her.  He explains his travels to Sethe saying, “I been in territory ain’t got no name, never staying nowhere long.  But when I got here and sat out there on the porch, waiting for you, well, I knew it wasn’t the place I was heading toward; it was you” (46).  Then, just as Sethe, Paul D, and Denver go to the carnival, have a great day, and start to feel like a family, Beloved shows up.  While Paul D wants to take care of her at first, he begins to resent her presence when Beloved does not leave.  When Paul D comes home at night, Sethe is not waiting for his arrival, but spending time with Beloved.  He decides that it is time to kick Beloved out of the house when he notices, “some petlike adoration that took hold of her as she looked at Sethe” (64).  While Paul D does have good reasons for not trusting Beloved and her past, his dislike grows from the way Beloved captures Sethe’s attention.

            The second reason that I believe Paul D dislikes Beloved is because she pays no attention to him.  When Paul D initially recognizes the obsession that Beloved has with Sethe, he mistakenly believes adoration (which he refers to as shining) is for him.  However, when he realizes that her “shining” is not for him, he begins to detest Beloved’s presence stating, “He wanted her out” (66).  Beloved often acts as if Paul D is not there.  If she does acknowledge his presence, she treats his poorly and does not answer his questions.  He observes her behavior: “she paid him no attention at all – frequently not even answering a direct question put to her.  She would look at him and not open her mouth” (64).  He reacts to these actions by quizzing Beloved about her past and how she ended up at 124.  He does not start to push for Beloved’s departure until he notices her cold attitude towards him.

            Beloved seems to have won over every member of the family except Paul D.  While none of the family knows Beloved’s past, Paul D is the only one who is suspicious.  This stems from Beloved stealing Sethe’s attention from himself and Beloved not paying any attention to him.  For these two reasons, Paul D pushes for Beloved’s departure from 124.