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Paul D's Birth
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Paul D Becomes a Man as Mr. Garner's Slave
Event: "[Mr. Garner] thought what they said had merit, and what they felt was serious. Deferring to his slaves' opinions did not deprive him of authority or power" (Pg. 147) Reaction: "[Paul D] grew up thinking that, of all the Blacks in Kentucky, only the five of them were men. Allowed, encouraged to correct Garner, even defy him" (Pg. 147) -
Attempted Escape from Sweet Home
Event: "Anything that worked at all worked out. Now wondered what all went wrong, and starting with the Plan, everything had. It was a good plan, too. Worked out in detail with every possibility of error eliminated." (Pg. 261) Reaction: “Sitting on the porch of a dry-goods church, a little bit drunk and nothing much to do, he could have these thoughts. Slow, what-if thoughts that cut deep but struck nothing solid a man could hold on to.” (Pg. 261) -
Paul D is Sent to Prison in Georgia
Event: "He was sent [to Alfred] after trying to kill Brandywine, the man schoolteacher sold him to." (Pg. 125)
Reaction: "Eighty-six days and done. Life was dead. Paul D beat her butt all day every day till there was not a whimper in her.... Life rolled over dead. Or so he thought." (Pg. 129) -
Paul D Escapes to Delaware 86 Days Later
Event: "He raced from dogwood to blossoming peach...He merely followed in their wake, a dark ragged figure guided by the blossoming plums. The apple field turned out to be Delaware where the weaver lady lived." (Pg. 133)
Reaction: "It was some time before he could put Alfred, Georgia, Sixo, schoolteacher, his brothers, Sethe, Mister, the taste of iron, the sight of butter, the smell of hickory, notebook paper, one by one, into the tobacco tin lodged in his chest. (Pg. 133) -
Paul D Arrives at 124
Event: "As if to punish her further for her terrible memory, sitting on the porch not forty feet away was Paul D, the last of the Sweet Home men. And although she could never mistake his face for another's, she said, 'Is that you?'" (Pg. 7)
Reaction: " ‘Good God...What kind of evil you got in here’ " (Pg. 10) -
Paul D Exorcizes the Ghost from 124
Event: “ ‘God damn it! Hush up!’ Paul D was shouting, falling, reaching for anchor. ‘Leave the place alone! Get the hell out!’ ” (Pg. 22) Reaction: "You want to fight, come on! God damn it! She got enough without you. She got enough!" (Pg. 22) -
Beloved Arrives at 124
Event: "A fully dressed woman walked out of the water." (Pg. 60)
Reaction: "'You just gonna feed her? From now on?' Paul D, feeling ungenerous, and surprised by it, heard the irritability in his voice.... 'Something funny 'bout that gal,' Paul D said, mostly to himself.... 'Acts sick, sounds sick, but she don't look sick. Good skin, bright eyes and strong as a bull.'" (Pg. 67) -
Beloved Seduces Paul D
Event: “So, while she hoisted her skirts and turned her head over her shoulder the way the turtles had, he just looked at the lard can." (Pg. 137) Reaction: "What he knew was that when he reached the inside part he was saying "Red heart. Red heart," over and over again. Softly and so loud it woke Denver, then Paul D himself." (Pg. 138) -
Paul D Finds Out About Murder and Leaves
Event: "Stamp looked into Paul D’s eyes and the sweet conviction in them almost made him wonder if...a pretty little slave girl had recognized a hat, and split to the woodshed to kill her children.” (Pg. 186) Reaction: "How fast he had moved from his shame to hers." (Pg. 194) "What you did was wrong, Sethe... You got two feet, Sethe, not four, and right then a forest sprang up between them; trackless and quiet." (Pg. 194) -
Paul D Returns to 124
Event: "His coming is the reverse route of his going." (Pg. 310) Reaction: " 'Sethe,' he sasys, 'me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.' " (Pg. 322)