Close Reading #1

       On the 20th page of the book Sethe is with Paula Deen when she is baking biscuits. The phrase or words that impact the most are the metaphor like choice the author makes. The ones that stuck out to me the most is that Paul D's "cheek was pressing into the branches of her chokecherry tree", this metaphor shows lots of desires between the characters that maybe deep down they really don't want these lustful desires. Which definitely leads to internal conflicts on both of these character's sides afterwards. On Paul D's side we have his first desire for Sethe, however afterwards his desire and lust for her is gone. Paul D's hidden desires start to act up, "Paul D saw the float of her breasts and disliked it, the spread-away, flat roundness of them that he could definitely live without, never mind that downstairs he had held them as though they were the most expensive part of himself," (25). This is how Paul D felt in the inside about Sethe, he felt as though she was not the best women out there and pretty much didn't want her anymore and he could most likely live on wihtout her and simply move to another house the way he would. But, he doesn't and this is could be consider a conflict within Paul D because he knows for a fact that he can easily move on to another house and keep on living his life the regular way, yet he doesn't do so. And this is a very impacting decision to the readers and most likely to himself, because he decides to stay and be almost the men of the house, except his authority is limited due to the fact that its Sethe's home.
       Sethe's conflict is different since she is dealing with more of a memory of her ex-husband Halle. Being with Paul D has reminded Sethe of her ex-husband And, this really puts Sethe in a corner thinking if she will go through the same pain and regret she went through with her last "marriage". Sethe begins to remember her first day of her married life, "Paul sighed and turned over. Sethe took the opportunity afforded by his movement to shift as well. Looking at Paul D's back she remembered that some of the corn stalks broke, folded down over Halle's back, and among the things her fingers clutched were husk and corn silk hair," (32). This memories deep inside Sethe have been awoken by the actions she has taken by Paul D and maybe for Sethe it was a bad idea to let them out since along with the memories of Sethe come even worst memories, about living back at Sweet Home and what happened to Sethe.