In Life Together: The Importance of Community in Beloved

In Beloved, it takes Stamp Paid many times to finally muster up the courage to knock on the door of 124. When he finally in in the house, he begins talking to Ella about Paul D’s whereabouts. Stamp Paid becomes outraged when Ella states “He’s sleeping in the church” (219). Stamp Paid values the importance of community and decides that a community should not treat a member this way. Without the protection of one another specifically in the black community, what progress can be made? As Stamp continues, he orates, “That don’t sound like you, Ella. Me and you been pulling coloredfolk out of the water…you tell me you can’t offer a man a bed” (220). Morrison repeats the use of the pronouns “you” and “me” to emphasize that both Stamp and Paul D are part of something bigger. In this case, “you” and “me” combined makes a collective we, showing togetherness. If everyone can unite and protect each other, then people won’t be left to fend for themselves. As Ella questions the ideology of Stamp, Stamp refutes by saying “you know he’s colored” (220). Stamp’s reasoning is that at this time and place, the world is separated into black and white. If one is black, he should associate and help all other black people around. By essentially using an exclamatory and in the context an imperative, Stamp instructs Ella enthusiastically to begin supporting others like her.