"Saying more might push them both to a place they couldn't get back from."
Paul D was vulnerable, and confide in Sethe, which is a gender role in this particular piece. He faced physical and a brutal past, which enabled him to alienate his emotions and not truly find himself. He continued to doubt fundamental aspects of his identity and a lack of manhood. This is an example of change between gender roles, because Sethe is the dominant figure amongst Paul D, but is suffering from her past as well. They try to avoid their past stories and brutal memories. They were both scared to open up, but managed to do so and fall in love. They spoke up about their past and confided in each other to become comfortable and safe around each other.
I think this is a very interesting point. Furthermore, the notion of expressing confidence in an individual is a very significant matter throughout the story. While considering the idea of "expressing confidence," I thought about the evidence of truth and the lack there of throughout the story. Although Sethe begins to share things with Paul D concerning her past, she lives out specific truths and likewise with the things she has shared with Denver concerning her past. In Sethe's case, I believe her elimination of certain truths is not simply a result of her guilt; instead, I believe Sethe battles with the issues of "shame and humiliation." In my opinion, Sethe's shame and humiliation does not simply stem from her personal decisions that she made/makes in life, but they also stem from the constant reminder of the oppression, suffering, and abuse that she as black woman had to suffer through and endure. Also, this can reflect back to her choice to live in solitude rather than breaking free from the bondage of her past and creating a new path for her future.
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