In Beloved, the main theme that is present through out the novel is the dehumanization due to slavery. In various scenes you hear stories told by the protagonist's about the hardships they faced in slavery or have watched others face. Slavery has not only scared them but has altered how they view themselves through out the novel.
Escaping slavery was only half the battle. The damage had already been done and that is prevalent in the way many of the protagonist's, such as Sethe and Paul D carry themselves. For example, Paul D dehumanizes himself when he says, "He would keep the rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be. It's lid rusted shut." I interpreted this line as a way of him saying that he no longer can see himself as human or a living being. When he says, "where a heart used to be" he makes it clear, because a heart is one major key to every living thing, that he is aware he has no emotions or human like characteristics. I think this expressed the emotional and spiritual devastation brought on by slavery, and really hindering his sense of self.
I think you make a good point with your second paragraph. While it is certainly prevalent in the novel, Beloved seems to focus less on the dehumanizing parts of slavery then most slave novels. Beloved is, more then anything, about the internal battles and character interactions which makes each character appear all-the-more human and genuine.
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