Did Stamp Paid Do the Right Thing?
In Toni Morrison’s Beloved , Stamp Paid makes the difficult decision to tell Paul D about what Sethe did to her children when schoolteacher came to take them back to Sweet Home. Was he justified in making this decision? An argument can be made that Stamp Paid should’ve realized that Sethe should’ve been the one to tell Paul D. The traumatic experiences that she endured at Sweet Home undoubtedly influenced her decision, and she’s the only one who truly understands them. Thus, she’s the only one qualified to talk about the situation she was in, and the reasoning behind her decision. On the other hand, it’s possible that Paul D wouldn’t have ever found out if it weren’t for Stamp Paid. Sethe openly defends her decision and says that she doesn’t regret it, yet, she purposely hides it from Paul D. I don’t think that this means that she stands by her decision any less than she says she does, but it could suggest that she’s scared of telling Paul D about it. It’s hard to know