The Klub, A beloved Close Reading

“He wanted her out, but Sethe had let her in and he couldn't put her out of a house that wasn't his. It was one thing to beat up a ghost, quite another to throw a helpless coloredgirl out in territory infected by the Klan. Desperately thirsty for black blood, without which it could not live, the dragon swam the Ohio at will.”

In the novel beloved, there are many characters, and levels of which the power are explored. In this excerpt, we can see the difference in power between some of the characters and the outer world. In the excerpt, we see Paul D internal monologue about beloved being with him and Sethe and Denver in the house. We also see him mention the “Klan”, referring to one of the most powerful hate groups to ever gain support in the U.S. In the excerpt, there are any levels of power discussed, including the power dynamic inside the house, the region, and inside their plane of existence.

The first of the power dynamics which Paul D discusses is the power dynamic in the house. Traditionally, in the 1800s, there was the man of the family, who help the power over the house, generally the “father” of the house. However, in saying that he couldn’t “put her out” he is saying that he actually has no power. In this way, the house at 124 clearly defies that expectation of a male run house. This is most probably due to the dual causes of Sethe, being as independent for as long as she was, as well as Paul D’s feeling of emasculation he received while at sweet home.

We also see him discussing the power in the region. In this, he says “territory infected by the klan”, referring to the Ku Klux Klan, a notorious hate group that took rise in the south before and after slavery.  Nicknamed “the dragon”, its design is to strike fear into the hearts of all colored people living within their territory, and to in some cases lynch or kill them. The members of the KKK all belonged to a different race, and this too resulted in a power dynamic which took power from people of color.

He also touches on the power struggle between the living and the dead, the normal and the supernatural. He says that it was something not to be scorned to kick out a ghost, but when the same ghost becomes physical, it is no longer alright. In doing this he detracts from the power of the supernatural.