ENGL 271 Literary Analysis

8/10/2019 ENGL 271 Literary Analysis

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Celena Todora

ENGL 271

Dr. Theile

9 May 2013

When an Isolationist Paradise Becomes a Paradox

The novel,Paradise, by Toni Morrison, depicts the society of Ruby as having strong

allegiance to their community identity. Accounts from the 8-rock descendents reveal that this

communal bond resulted from white racism towards them, referred to in the novel as the

Disallowing, which drove them away from the white community surrounding them, forcing

them to establish their own society. This apparent devotion to their newborn city, however, leads

to complete separation from the rest of American society. Moreover, this creates an intolerance

of mixed raced people and distrust towards outsiders and outside ideals amongst community

members. Experiencing the hardships of being a marginalized group in oppressive white society

leads the 8-rock men to become oppressors in their own community of the multiracial citizens

and the unwelcome outsiders. Therefore, as a result of white oppression, Rubys 8-rockers have

developed an extreme rejection of white society and the outside world, resembling a black

nationalist perspective, which is defined as an alternative to being assimilated by the American

nationthat promote[s] [a] separate [black] identity (Black Nationalism). Rubys similar

isolationist attitude is the direct cause of societal conflict within the town of Ruby, invoking the

disharmony between the community members in their society and the unnecessary assault on the

Convent women. Because each of these conflicts in the novel are caused by the upholding of a

racial hierarchy through their sheltered community, it is clear that the novel uses these conflicts


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to depict the negative effects of both black nationalist isolationism and determining the value of

others based on race.

Rubys isolation from the rest of American society is primarily racially-based, as it is a

direct response to the racial oppression of the Disallowing; therefore, the negative effects of this

separation form a distinct critique of the racial binary that the 8-rocks maintain. Rubys founders

constructed the town so that there were no whites (moral or malevolent) around to agitate or

incense them, make them ugly-up the Oven and defy the adults (102). Ruby was established as

a paradise away from white people, but this reveals that the Disallowing, ironically, established a

distrust of the white race in their community, preserving the racial binary but refocusing it to

light-skinned versus darker-skinned, rather than simply white versus black, as there are not any

white residents of Ruby. Patricia explicitly notes Rubys new separation: light-skinned against

black in her chapterwhen she is discussing the outcome of the Disallowing (Morrison 194).

Evidently, the Disallowing created a racially-focused mindset amongst the 8-rock founders of

Ruby that placed a value on darker, 8-rockskin, maintaining the racial bias towards people

with lighter skin, a new binary that literary critic Ana Mara Fraile-Marcos calls the pure

(themselves) and the impure (12). Another critic, Richard Schur, similarly discusses the irony

in this racially-prejudiced foundation of Ruby:

The Disallowing specifically relates how black towns had excluded the founding

families of Haven because they were too black and too poor. This border between

light and dark-skinned black constituted an internalization of the system of racial

hierarchy established by whites. (288)

This racial hierarchy is an apparent construct nested deep in Rubys foundations, and the irony of

this groundwork is that the escape from racism resulted in a new form of racism within Ruby.


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The Disallowing clearly influenced the 8-rocks racial isolationist mindsetin their establishment

of Ruby; however,Paradise is a clear condemnation of such a societal foundation.

The atrocity of such a racially-based ideological foundation is revealed in outcomes of

this racist mindset that the town upholds. Fraile-Marcos agrees that the novel warns about the

dangers of essentializing black identity and the African American community (22). The true

destructive nature of valuing black identity is represented when Roger Best breaks the 8-rock

rule and marries Delia, a wife of sunlight skin, a wife of racial tampering(Morrison 197). It is

clear that the descendants of the 8-rocks, those who endorse the racially biased perceptions in

Ruby, disapprove of this choice to marry a multiracial woman when Steward Morgan, an original

8-rock descendent, comments, He's bringing along the dung we leaving behind(201). This

clearly ingrained disgust for lighter-skinned people, evidence of the black nationalist foundation

of Ruby, takes a deadly turn when their racial bias leads to the Delias death, which Patricia

speculates is because those 8-rock men didnt want to go and bring a white into town; or else

didnt want to drive out to a whites house begging for help; or else just despised [Delias] pale

skin so much they thought of reasons why they could not go (198). Literary critic Candice

Jenkins agrees that Delia ispermitted to die, in part, because she reminds them that the purity

they so cherish is maintained in deliberate response to the anguish of the Disallowing (278).

This tragic consequence of their racial prejudice is a clear condemnation of their racial attitude,

symbolic of the overall black purist perspective that Ruby was founded on.

Although it is the Disallowing that provokes their negative attitude towards people of

lighter skin, Morrison is not placing blame on white racism for being the cause, but for the

citizens of Ruby perpetuating this racism, which is clear from the ironic parallel of Delia and

Rubys deaths. Much like Delia, Rubys death was a result of racism because no colored people


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were allowed in the wards. No regular doctor would attend them; therefore, her dark skin

destined her to die on the waiting room bench(Morrison 113). This event was a contributing

factor to the establishment of Ruby as a paradise from white racism, as indicated by Rubys

continued legacy manifested in the towns name; however, the strong resemblance between these

two instances reveals the horrific consequences of the 8-rock principles brought on by this

pursuit of paradise, a mindset that Jenkins calls the black nationalist desirefor a pure, and

purely authentic, form of African-American identity (287). The people of Ruby, once the

oppressed, transformed into the oppressors, as they became the direct cause of the death of a

woman due to their racial prejudices, a role they had once considered malevolent when one of

their own people, Ruby, was a victim. The hypocritical and catastrophic results of maintaining

such a racially-isolated community is an apparent condemnation of the black nationalist

philosophy.

Not only does the separatist adherence to a pure black identity lead to an unjustified

hatred of others, but physical detriment to their community. For instance, as Patricia notes

through an examination of family relations within Ruby, the problem with blood rules is that

incest is eventually necessary to maintain true racial purity (196). Additionally, Fraile-Marcos

points out that:

What the rulers of Ruby refuse to see is that their emphasis on saving Ruby

through isolation and exclusion is damning to it in the most literal sense. They

are enforcing endogamy, which is resulting in potential incestuous relations, like

that of K.D. and Arnette and deformed children who die soon, like Save Marie.

(16)


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In addition to the racism that the traditional 8-rock ideology promotes, it is also a significant

danger to their community to uphold these values. This indisputable flaw to Rubys insistence

on maintaining racial purism reveals Morrisons apparent criticism of this mindset. This

illustration of the ultimate danger of isolationism functions as a clear condemnation of this

societal foundation.

Although Rubysisolation was originally derived on a racial basis, it incites aversion

towards every aspect of the outside world, not solely the white race, and the implications of this

further strengthen the criticism of Rubys separatist foundation. This holistic isolationist attitude

that emerged as a result of the Disallowing is clearly depicted in the following quotation:

The twins stared at their dwindling postwar future and it was hard not to persuade

other home boys to repeat what the Old Fathers had done in 1890. Ten

generations had known what lay Out There where your children were sport,

your women quarry, and where your very person could be annulled where

every cluster of whitemen looked like a posse, being alone was being dead. But

lessons had been learned and relearned in the last three generations about how to

protect a town. (16)

This exhibits the fear of the outside world that white racism brought upon them, which inspires

the creation of Ruby and remains instilled into its very structure. This isolationism that Ruby is

founded on leads to a complete distrust of newcomers to their community, as represented by

Reverend Misner. This is apparent when Misner pleas with Patricia, Well help me figure this

place out. I know Im an outsider, but Im not an enemy, and she responds with, No, youre

not, but in this town those two words mean the same thing (212). Not only does Misner signify

Rubys natural fear of outsiders, but also the opposing ideals that contradict the original 8-rock


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values. His opposition to the towns isolation is a primary example, which he makes clear in his

conversation with Patricia when he states, We live in the world, Pat. The whole world.

Separating us, isolating usthats always been their weapon. Isolation kills generations. It has

no future (210). In addition to his apparent disagreement with the Rubys isolationist

foundation, he teaches his students about Africa and current events outside of the town, which

Patricia does not support (207). Patricias distrust of these ideas represents the towns view of

Misners role in their society because his outside values counteract with what they are used to.

Schur describes Rubys opposition to Misners character as a distrust of his solutions to racial

and social conflict, which, according to Schur, signifies that the very core of Rubys

community, the rhetoric and rules of eight-rock, comes to symbolize what haunts their

community (289). Rubys elders opposition to Misners character establishes their inability to

accept values and people other than their own, which is upheld by their isolationist stance. This

resulting closed-mindedness is an apparent critique of isolationism and the maintenance of

traditional 8-rock philosophy as a whole.

The 8-rock ideology is not solely limited to its isolationism; that is just one aspect of an

entire array of values that emerged at the start of Ruby, and any change in perspective within

Ruby, whether resulting from contact with the outside world or simply the natural loss of

tradition amongst the younger generations, proves to be impossible for the older generations for

Ruby to accept, which leads to the societal conflict in Ruby. This rigid mindset, a perspective

the elders fight to sustain amongst the entire Ruby community, is harmful to the structure of their

society. A similar reading by Viva de Voss interprets this pattern as follows: Whereas the

citizens of Ruby lived in an isolated world, Morrison shows the impossibility and dangers of

assumed self-identical identity (12). The negative impact of this self-identical identity, as


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de Voss labels the strict 8-rock ideology, causes suspicion of differing values, which is further

revealed in the heated Beware the Furrow argument, demonstrating the anger the 8-rocks have

toward change in their community (86). The town elders efforts to restore what they see is the

original message on the Oven symbolizes their desire to preserve the 8-rock principles Ruby was

founded on; however, younger Destrysdesire to compromise with the alternative message, Be

the Furrow, signifies that the youth of the town is straying away from the original 8-rock

mindset the elders are working so hard to preserve (87). This traditional mindset, of course,

resulted from their sense of communal pride after the Disallowing, which Ruby was established

upon, but it is the protest of the older Ruby generations towards divergence from this perspective

that creates friction within the community.

In addition to the debate regarding the message on the Oven, the older generations

protest to the youths congregation around the Oven further illustrates their frustration regarding

change within Ruby. Stewards aggravation with the young people wanting to change the

message on the Oven is that they have no notion of what it took to build Ruby, indicating that

the Oven symbolizes the values of the 8-rock families that initially founded Ruby (93). It is clear

from this why so many of the 8-rock descendents are angered by the youths casual attendance

around the Oventhey are changing the true symbolism of the Oven since they do not

appreciate it for its true value to their community. However, it is not the youth who create the

uproar in Ruby surrounding these events, but the elders. The arguments about the Oven are

started by the 8-rocks, not the younger generations. Therefore, it is not the outside ideas entering

into Ruby that is creating societal conflict, but the 8-rock traditionalists efforts to preserve their

mindset that they believe should be the foundation of Ruby. Their inability to accept change in

their society, influenced by their purely isolationist attitude, is the primary cause of the


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disharmony in Ruby. Fraile-Marcos agrees that Morrison shuns religious as well as

nationalistic essentialisms by means of the open ending of the novel which implies thatparadise

as well as ethnic constructionis neither closed nor fixed, but a condition that has to be

continuously worked on (30), which means that the closed-mindedness of their rigid mindset

does not allow for fluctuation and adaptation within the community, which is inevitable in a

search for paradise. Rubys refusal to accept change within the community, a symptom of their

isolationism, is a hindrance to their ultimate purposebecoming a paradise. Fraile-Marcos

agrees that Rubys refusal to acknowledge difference within their community poses the major

threat to their idea of paradise (14). This significant flaw to the structure of their society reveals

the impossibility of truly achieving paradise within an isolationist community.

Moreover, the true breaking pointultimate negative result of Rubys preservation of

traditional valuesis the men of Rubys view of the women of the Convent, a result of their

isolationist way of thinking, and the eventual attack that results from this perspective. The

elders frustration with the change in the town of Ruby results in their decision to find a

scapegoat, which happens to be the women of the Convent. It is clear that the men blame the

Convent women for their societal problems because when the men spoke of the ruination that

was upon themhow Ruby was changing in intolerable ways they did not think to fix it by

extending a hand in fellowship or love. They mapped out defense instead and honed evidence

for its need, till teach piece fit an already polished groove, which refers to the blame they place

on the Convent women and the resulting attack (275). Their strict adherence to the 8-rock

mindset and incapacity to cope with the loss of traditional values in the community leads to a

horrific act of violence. As Katrine Dalsgard describes:


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As things now are in Ruby, unwanted children are conceived and aborted, wished-for

children are born broken, and the young have begunto react against the conservative

lifestyle and the authoritarian politics of the communitys leading elders. Though at first

the communitys patriarchs react to this development by launching a series of angry

accusations against its young male lions of failing their ancestral responsibility, the novel

culminates in a horrific massacre conducted by these two groups of men on a group of

unconventional women. (233)

They illogically blame the Convent women for outrages that had been accumulating within

Ruby, though they have no definite proof besides rumors that the women were even involved

in these events (Morrison 11). These hasty, unsupported assumptions further indicate their

distrust of people outside community, which leads to the extreme act of murder. This apparent

tragedy, resulting from the elders strict view of how the people of Ruby are supposed to think

and their inability to accept differing perspectives, is a clear condemnation of adhering to such a

strict communal, isolationist mindset. Additionally, Doveys comment about her husbands

choice to pursue this attack, Did he think that because they lived away from white law they

were beyond it? reveals the true impact of isolationism on the 8-rock descendents (287). After

years of separation from the rest of society, legal implications of their actions do not affect them

as much, even if they commit a crime as heinous as murder. This extreme result of isolationism

is a clear admonition of the ideology as a whole. Furthermore, Fraile-Marcos sees this murder of

the Convent women as the result of defending an idea of paradise based on exclusion enforced

by violence. Violence, and more specifically murder, not only contradicts the very idea of

paradise stated by the title, but implies the loss of innocence and subsequent expulsion from

paradise (20). This brings up another very true point: the violence that derives from Rubys


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isolationist exclusion policy, which the backbone of their quest for paradise, ironically makes it

impossible for them to ever truly create paradise. The ultimate failure of Rubys attempt at

paradise, as well as the immorality that results during this pursuit, that is revealed through the

attack on the Convent finalizes Morrisons disparagement of isolationism.

Morrisons depiction of the futility, violence, and closed-mindedness associated with

Rubys isolationist stance is a clear criticism of such a communal foundation. As mentioned

earlier, Rubys isolation was undoubtedly influenced by racial oppression during the

Disallowing, which spurred their adherence to a pure black identity as a community, displaying

similarities to the black nationalist perspective. The deeply-rooted racism within Rubys

community that resulted from this extreme racial isolation from the rest of the country is a

negative illustration of the 8-rock dogma. It is clear that the placement of value on black identity

provoked Rubys isolationand that the negative impacts of this isolation from people and values

that are different from the citizens of Ruby, both racially and ideologically, clearly emphasize the

danger of this mindset. The elders blame their societal conflict on both Misner and the women

of the Convent, who are symbols of values that oppose the 8-rock philosophy; however, it is this

rigid philosophy Ruby was founded on that is truly to blame. The elders refusal to accept

difference in their community is what ultimately leads to disharmony within Ruby. The

appalling murder of the Convent women at the end of the novel is the final piece to Morrisons

criticism of their isolationist mindset, revealing its true implications. The irony of Ruby is that it

was established as an attempt at paradise, but their methods of attaining this paradise (i.e.

ascribing to a purely black identity and isolating themselves from the world around them) are

what prevent them from truly ever arriving at such a utopia.


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Works Cited

Black Nationalism.Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 6 May 2013.

Dalsgard, Katrine. The One all-Black Town Worth the Pain: (African) American

Exceptionalism, Historical Narration, and the Critique of Nationhood in Toni

Morrison'sParadise.African American Review35.2 (2001): 233-48. Print.

De Voss, Vida. The Identity Challenge in Toni Morrison'sParadise. Graduate Theses and

Dissertations. Paper 11613. Iowa State University. Iowa State, 2010. Web. 5 May 2013.

Fraile-Marcos, Ana Mara. Hybridizing the City upon a Hillin Toni Morrison's

Paradise.MELUS28.4 (2003): 3-33. Print.

Jenkins, Candace. Pure Black: Class, Color, and Intraracial Politics in Toni

Morrison's Paradise.Modern Fiction Studies52.2 (2006): 270-296. Print.

Morrison, Toni.Paradise. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1998. Print.

Schur, Richard. LocatingParadise in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Toni Morrison and Critical

Race Theory.Contemporary Literature 45 (2004): 27699. Print.

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ENGL 271 Literary Analysis