A Sense of Community

In Toni Morrison's book, "Beloved", there are numerous situations of attempts to dehumanize slaves. One of scenes in this story that struck me hardest, was Paul D's account of the prison life in Georgia. On pages 126-128 Paul D recounts the atrocities he and forty five other prisoners faced at the hands of angry white prison guards. From sexual assault to murder, the White guards ravaged the prisoners. Morrison paints this picture vividly by using such strong diction and in depth description of the setting to very effectively paint the scene. Even after all that the prisoners are subjected to, they still have a sense of community and trust in each other. This trust can be seen through their communal escape from the prison.

During a massive storm, the hard ground that prevented the prisoners from escaping their cells become malleable and allowed for escape. However, every single one of the prisoners was chained together and could not leave without every single other prisoner also escaping. The prisoners had to rely on each other and trust that each one would follow through with the escape attempt even with all the uncertainty it brought. From their escape, their community and strong reliance on each other became very evident.