The Significance of Interpersonal Relations in Rehabilitation in Toni Morrison’s Paradise

Abstract

This study frames the emotional damage and the process of rehabilitation of Mavis in Toni Morrison's Paradise. The writings of Morrison authenticate African-American realities and concerns. She explores complex societal, political and philosophical concerns in her novels, exposing black victimization, the psychological effects of racial and sexual persecution, and the complications that African Americans face in a society dominated by white cultural values. Paradise, a multilayered work, has inspired a wide range of literary criticism. However, most critics have either neglected the role and significance of interpersonal relations in the process of rehabilitation of broken individuals or have touched only marginally.

Consequently, criticism of Paradise needs to be a more comprehensive analysis of the importance of interpersonal relations. The present study aims to fill this gap, thereby gaining fresh insights into the artistic piece. Narratives of violence on electronic media may desensitize people to what they see and hear. However, this study emphasizes that attachment relationships are the most efficient means to regulate emotional distress. If one's world gets fractured, which is beyond one's control, resulting in denigration, then the overwhelming weight of such intrusive stress and the ever-present threat of harassment have to be lifted with someone's help. The study argues that psychological ailments should be dealt with seriously because psychological damage is not a matter of concern of individual psychopathology but a problem that touches the social and cultural dimensions of human life. The reader will be equipped with a new framework for assisting distressed individuals, which will strengthen the community.