Paradise: Analysis of Major Characters
"Paradise: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the complex relationships and backgrounds of key figures in Toni Morrison's narrative, set in the all-Black town of Ruby and the nearby Convent. Central to the story are Mavis Albright, a troubled mother grappling with the tragic loss of her children; Consolata, the enigmatic leader of the Convent who possesses seemingly supernatural abilities; and Deacon Morgan, a powerful elder in Ruby who faces moral dilemmas following acts of violence. The character of Gigi Gibson introduces themes of youthful rebellion and allure, while Reverend Misner embodies a critical voice challenging the town's traditional values. The interactions among these figures reflect broader themes of community, identity, and the struggle for redemption within a tightly-knit society. The tragic events culminate in a violent confrontation at the Convent, leading to profound consequences for all involved. This analysis serves as a lens to understand the intertwined destinies and psychological complexities of each character within the narrative's rich context.
Paradise: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Toni Morrison
First published: 1998
Genre: Novel
Locale: Oklahoma
Plot: Mysticism
Time: 1973
Mavis Albright, is a 27-year-old African-American wife and mother. She is married to Jim Albright, but a man named Frank is the father of her children: Frank, Sal, and Billy. Mavis gains notoriety after her twin children—Merle and Pearl—suffocate from the heat when Mavis leaves them in the car while she shops for food to feed her husband, who she is deathly afraid of. After the children's deaths, Mavis fears that the other siblings will murder her, so she steals Frank's Cadillac and escapes. A warrant for her arrest also has been issued. Mavis initially drives to the home of her mother—Birdie Goodroe—in Paterson, NJ, but overhears the woman calling Frank and leaves for California. She shares expenses with hitchhikers but runs out of money and gas in Oklahoma and is taken in by a woman named Connie at the “Convent,” where she remains for many years with other women until the house is attacked by a group of local men. Mavis has a fistfight with Gigi, a younger woman who comes to live at the Convent.
Consolata, is the women who oversees the Convent, a former school for Indian children run by nuns. She was kidnapped by Sister Mary Magna and brought to the United States from her native Portugal at age nine along with two other children, Clarissa and Penny. Consolata, called Connie, remains at the convent after the school closes while Clarissa and Penny leave. They disappear after jumping off a bus in Arkansas. Connie remains at the Convent for the remainder of her life, tending the garden, cooking, and caring for now Mother Superior Mary Magna until the old woman's death. Connie grows fruits and vegetables on the convent property and sells them to earn money to maintain the facility. She wears sunglasses to hide her eyes from the world and eventually moves into a room in the Convent's basement that is completely dark, causing her eyes to adapt to be able to see in almost total absence of light. She has a torrid sexual love affair with Deacon Morgan, a married man, but he ends it. Consolata learns to place her spirit inside another's body to heal them, which she calls “stepping in” and saves Deacon's son, Scout, after he crashes his truck. Consolata seemingly has supernatural powers, which she teaches to the other Convent residents, although she eventually comes to hate them all and wants to “snap their necks.” Living in the basement, she constantly drinks wine while hoping for death. When the Convent eventually is attacked by a posse of men from Ruby, an all–African-American town founded in 1958, Connie is shot in the head and killed by Deacon's brother, Stewart Morgan.
Deacon Morgan, is one of the town of Ruby's leading elders along with his twin brother, Stewart. Deacon and Stewart, both African-Americans, are the dominant power in the all-black town of Ruby because of their wealth (Deacon and Stewart are co-owners of the town's bank). The town is named after their younger sister, who died because no white doctor would treat her when she became ill. He is married to Soane and has two sons, Scout and Easter, who are killed in combat in Vietnam. Deacon briefly became the lover of Consolata when they were younger, although he already was married. Deacon leads the attack on the Convent, although he does not kill any of the women residents. His brother Stewart kills Consolata during the assault. Prior to the attack, Deacon justifies all his and the town elders' dubious actions, but following Consolata's murder he walks barefoot to Reverend Misner's house, seeking to confess and earn forgiveness.
Grace “Gigi” Gibson, is a young African-American woman who is one of the strays who comes to live at the Convent with Consolata and Mavis. She is proud and a very free spirit who exudes sex appeal. When travelling, she charms a bus driver into taking her to Ruby even though it's not a scheduled stop. When she exits the bus, her sexual magnetism immediately attracts several of the town's young men, especially K.D. Smith, with whom she later has an affair. Gigi is more wild and outspoken than the other residents at the Convent, which causes friction between the women, especially Mavis. The tension eventually erupts into a brawl in which the two women battle one another with fists like men. Gigi eventually learns to cook and tend the gardens, and she and the other women shave their heads and seemingly dabble in magic, although exactly what they are doing is left ambiguous. Gigi is killed in the attack on the Convent.
Reverend Misner, is one of two African-American ministers in Ruby. Misner, a Baptist, is said to love god “so much it hurt.” Misner is not a Ruby native and has a broader perspective on the world, which he tries to instill in the town's young. He has a romance with and later marries Anna Flood, who runs Ace's Grocery store, which she inherited from her father. Misner and Anna are among the few characters who criticize the town elders. Following the slaughter of the Convent women, Misner hears the confession of Deacon Morgan, who has come seeking absolution.
Stewart Morgan, is the twin brother of Deacon Morgan, the two most powerful men in Ruby. He is married to Dovey, who cannot have children. Dovey often sits in an abandoned house and talks to an unnamed man who occasionally walks through the property. Stewart kills Consolata, his brother's former lover, during the Convent raid. The killing drives a wedge between Stewart and Deacon as well as Dovey and her sister, Soane (Deacon's wife).
Soane Morgan, is the wife of Deacon Morgan and sister of Dovey, who is married to Deacon's twin, Stewart. She is the mother of Scout and Easter, both of whom die in Vietnam. When Consolata saves Scout's life after a car wreck, Soane and Connie become friends even though Deacon had an affair with the Convent woman.
K.D. (Kentucky Derby) Smith, is a young African-American man and the last Morgan male. K.D is flirtatious with women and impregnates teenage Arnette Fleetwood and has an affair with Gigi Gibson. K.D. and Arnette ultimately marry and have children. Their wedding is like a declaration of war against the Convent women, who attend uninvited and are asked to leave because of their sexual behavior.