While I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write about for this post, I mulled over Paul D's metaphorical tobacco tin box. He's sealed off his heart and let it grow cold. He doesn't allow himself to feel as much as would be normal because he's scared of being getting hurt as a result of his attachments. He is very adamant that he does not open his box. I started to wonder why it was that Paul D/Toni Morrison decided to use the imagery of a tobacco tin as opposed to a more secure lock box. It would seem to me that that the kind of seal that Paul D wants would be better found in something meant to store things a long period of time as opposed to being opened on a regular basis, contents being withdrawn and consumed. I decided to look on Google Images to see if there was something about these tins that I was missing. Turns out I wasn't missing much. They're really just like little altoid tins for carcinogens.
The images Google provided mostly showed older worn down boxes. The boxes looked like they were cheap to manufacture and sell. I did a bit of research and found that the cost of their contents were also much cheaper than what they are now. The price of tobacco has been steadily rising over the years. At the time that Beloved is set, tobacco and its tins were most likely a cheap commodity that everyone had access to. I think it says a lot about Paul D's self image that he pictures his heart stored inside of such a cheap container. The dehumanization that he faced is reflected in the devaluing of his own heart.
As I consider the metaphor of the tin, more and more possible interpretations come to me. Maybe a tobacco tin would be very valuable to an ex-slave who was previously unable to own property, showing that he does still value his heart. Maybe he put his heart in an inconspicuous container to try conceal his "weak point" from those who would do him harm. Or, maybe he chose to leave his heart in a tobacco tin and not a safe because he does not feel that he is completely done with it yet. As I said before, tobacco tins are meant to be opened, and their contents are meant to be removed. Maybe his placement shows a willingness to come out of his shell eventually and settle down a bit more. Maybe he feels like his heart is like the tobacco that would have been inside the tin before his heart, shriveled and gray, but able to be kindled, shining until death. (Although unlike burning tobacco, a revived heart isn't inherently bad for the health of all those in the area.) I hope that Paul D is leaving himself open to the possibility of easing back into emotional health, eventually discarding the tobacco tin. What do you think? Can you think of other better interpretations?
This is a cool analysis James. I like how you focus on that one detail and did a lot of research on it. The connection to property is interesting. There's probably also a connection to the drug aspect of the tobacco tin too and having it in his heart. He's sealing off his heart, a thing that can bring him happiness, like he would be sealing off tobacco that releases dopamine in the brain. Something about denying pleasure maybe.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your analysis of the tin box that is said to be Paul D's heart. I was under the impression that the tobacco box was not meant to symbolize that Paul D wants his heart open, but is instead a metaphor used connecting Paul D's heart and slavery. Kentucky has one of the largest concentrations of tobacco farms in the country. Perhaps Paul D is referring to the work that put his heart into a tin box, which was being enslaved and working with tobacco.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe you are completely right.
I think it is very cool how you were able to take this one symbol and really dive in and come up with all these metaphors for what the tobacco tin could symbolize. it was interesting to read and it made me appreciate the tobacco tin more because I would have never thought about it this in depth.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about the implications of the tin box itself, I had just assumed Morrison had picked an easy to identify metal object for the rust part. But as with most things in this book, I seem to be overlooking the implications of small details. I completely agree with your idea that it has to with personal property that he was not allowed before. For him, all he owned was his heart. I think the part about tins being meant to be opened is also intriguing, and I think the fact that it was pried open against his will is especially significant.
ReplyDelete