Men and Masculinity in Beloved

Throughout Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, it is clear that the relationship between the main and female characters of the story are somewhat strained.  The most apparent example of this would be the relationship between Paul D and Sethe.  At the beginning of the novel it seems as though Sethe might be filling a void left empty by her husband, Halle, when accepting Paul D into their family at 124.  However, once Beloved shows up on the stump in front of the house, it's clear that Sethe's first intentions will not follow through.  Beloved's main reasoning behind returning to 124 was to reestablish the relationship between herself, her mother, and Denver, which she felt had been strained by the existence of Paul D in the house.  Beloved presence in 124 competes with Paul D's domination over the household, resulting in a lack of mutual recognition between the two individuals.  Because Paul D can no longer assert his masculinity, he is driven out of the house, and eventually leaves Sethe and Denver.