Paradise deals with the lives of dejected women and the support group the women form for each other. Morrison draws attention to this key issue by removing the element of race from the novel, a heavy contrast to her earlier works, by not allowing the reader to know the races of the women. Thus the relationships present throughout the work can be seen strictly through the contrast between the abusive and damaging relationships found outside of the convent to the supportive and loving ones in the convent. This removal of race also allows us to se

Morrison's knowledge of psychology and its focus on identity is strong and shows through her portrayal of the women of the convent. She not only paints the lives of the characters through the discourse, but also bases her resolution upon real life psychology.

Just as Mavis' lack of identity was due to a lack of respect and attention from her husband, many of the other women come to the convent for the same reason. Toward the end of the novel, Consolata extends a welcome to the convent conveying the message that it is "the only place one is free to leave (262)." It becomes apparent to the reader that although some may go away for a little while, no one leaves for good.

The first woman we are introduced to is Mavis. Her relationship with her husband is an example of the type of subservience characteristic of relationships during this time. It is out of this type of relationship that Mavis not only places her husband above her, but also above her children. This is the ultimate loss of identity because indirectly by Mavis denying her children and breaking the bond between mother and child, she is in a sense denying herself and her natural inclination to care for her children. When Mavis and her husband are in bed together, we see Morrison compares her to a "Raggedy Ann doll,"(26) illustrating the fact that Mavis' identity meant nothing to her husband. Ironically, it takes this initial shed of self for Mavis to be able to escape the bondage her husband has over her. An article by the Radicalesbians supports this fact by stating that the male culture's definition of "woman" binds a woman to sexual and family functions (Radicalesbians). Unfortunately, Mavis' husband didn't allocate "family functions" as including the needs of his children coming before his own needs. Another indication of a lack of identity in this is Mavis' mother's ability to turn Mavis in when she runs away to her home. Her mother, a traditional woman, is unable to understand the idea of a woman running away from her family even if it is to save herself. Her informing Mavis' husband of Mavis' whereabouts is the result of her unwillingness to recognize the similarities between her own lack of identity and her daughter's, another tendency of women stated in the article.

The apex of the novel comes out of the town men's inability to accept the women's self-sufficiency (Smith). The town's men knew the capabilities of women when their identity isn't oppressed, which is their reasoning for squashing it in the first place. Traditionally, friendships between women have been regarded as frivolous and superficial (Traustado

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1766
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)