Examining Trauma in Toni Morrison's "Beloved" - Stamp Paid vs Halle
- Insanity is something that is often glanced over in Toni Morrison's Beloved . While assuredly not of central importance to the story, elements of trauma and mental illness lie under the surface in almost every scene of the book. It's only natural that most characters would struggle with trauma when considering the unimaginably scarring experiences that most characters in Beloved have gone through. That said, some characters seem to be more haunted by pasts than others. To me, the most interesting example is the contrast between Halle and Stamp Paid––where Halle goes insane as a result of a traumatic incident while Stamp Paid is instead able to keep his sanity after going through something similar. We eventually learn from Paul D that Halle goes insane shortly after secretly witnessing the violation of his wife years ago. Halle’s descent into insanity underscores the devastating psychological toll of slavery. The trauma of being powerless in that moment shatters his mind, lea...
