The sexual encounters between Paul D and Beloved have bothered me for a variety of reasons. Ignoring the uncomfortable adult/child dynamic, and Paul D's lack of fidelity, there is still an aspect of their relationship that doesn't sit well. I can't place its significance in the context of the rest of the novel, and what Toni Morrison intends it to mean. It can't simply be a demonstration of Paul D's sexual weakness, because that was already established by the calves at Sweet Home.
If we look at Beloved as a manifestation of Sethe's past mired with grief and suffering, it seems to make a little more sense. Beloved's presence at 124 constantly antagonizes Paul D. She moves him from one part of the house to the next and puts immense strain on his relationship with Sethe. This tortured relationship slowly contributes to Sethe's grief ridden past, and it's represented physically by Paul D and Beloved's relationship. That's why Beloved appears pregnant at the end of the novel. Her baby isn't simply the product of her sex with Paul D, it represents his own place within Sethe's anguish.
Today, when I was looking at the chart of relationships in one of the documents, it finally hit me that Paul D had sex with both Sethe and her undead child. I don't know why it didn't fully hit me earlier, but that's extremely weird.
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