In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison conveys her strong feelings about slavery by describing the emotional impact slavery had on individuals. By using characters like Mr. Garner and the teacher as facilitators, Morrison is able to illustrate not only how harmful slavery can be to an individual, but also how it affects everyone differently. Morrison supports his claims by constantly engaging the reader with the inner emotional workings of several other characters, particularly Paul D., in order to fully show the effect that slavery can have on an individual. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although Mr. Garner is portrayed as a relatively more respectable and humane slave owner, the fact that he owns slaves makes him no better than the schoolmaster. Morrison uses Mr. Garner to demonstrate that even if slaves are granted certain freedoms, the act of owning another human being is still detestable. One situation that shows Mr. Garner's questionable character is Halle's purchase of his mother, Baby Suggs. As Halle points out to Sethe, "If he hadn't done it, she would have fallen into his stove... I'm paying him for his last years and in return he had you, me and three more on the way." Mr. Garner allowed Baby Suggs' seemingly good-hearted release only because he received younger, stronger slaves in exchange. On the other hand, the Master clearly treats his slaves with complete disrespect and a total lack of moral conscience. Although the master's actions were clearly degrading and dehumanizing to his slaves, he justified his actions by classifying the slaves as animals, unworthy of deference. To show the teacher's inhumane attitude toward the slaves, the narrator discusses the teacher's view of how Garner ran the plantation: "the deterioration that these particular slaves had at the hands of Garner... allowing the Negroes to rent your time to buy yourself. have weapons!...He [the teacher] had come to tidy up the place." The teacher believed that it was his job to enforce order among these "spoiled" slaves and treat them as he believed slaves should be treated. The only way he concluded this could be done was through violence and blatant disrespect. Paul D. worked as a slave under both Mr. Garner and the teacher, and although they treated him differently, the end result was the same. Both Mr. Garner and the teacher destroyed Paul D.'s self-esteem and self-confidence, but they did so in different ways. Mr. Garner was the first to attack Paul D.'s manhood: although Paul D. acknowledged that Mr. Garner referred to his slaves as men, it was "only on Sweet Home, and with his permission." Obviously this angered Paul D., as he didn't need a white master arbitrarily determining who was manly and who wasn't. Furthermore, Mr. Garner's actions forced Paul D. to question his judgment of himself and his manhood. As soon as the teacher arrived, however, every ounce of confidence Paul D. had was shattered. The teacher's disrespect towards the slaves made Paul D. feel worthless, and Morrison clearly demonstrates the effects of the teacher's rituals in a scene involving a rooster named Mister. Paul D. reviewed the scene for Sethe, saying: Lord, he seemed so… free. Better than me. Stronger, tougher… Mister was allowed to be and remain who he was. But I wasn't allowed to be and.