Toni Morrison is the author of Beloved, a novel about the past literally coming back to haunt the present. The past has appeared in the physical and mental realms as loved ones and memories of past lives. Toni Morrison uses the heart symbol of the “tin tobacco box” to show how people repress their memories. Paul D admits he has a rusty tin box in his chest, but he's not the only one hiding his feelings. The community as a whole has buried feelings that only surface when drastic action is taken. In the novel, Paul D describes his heart as a tin box. He locked away his painful memories of Sweet Home and the prison camp. Paul D suppresses his feelings in hopes of avoiding further hurt. When Paul D witnesses Sethe's deep love for Denver and her attachment to Beloved, he thinks Sethe is making a dangerous mistake: Risky, Paul D thought, very risky. For a former slave to love something so much was dangerous, especially if it was her children she had decided to love. The best thing, he knew, was to love just a little; just a little bit, so when they broke his back,...well, maybe you'd have a little love left for the next guy. (54) Paul D had fallen in love with Sethe, and because he had avoided suffering for so long, by not facing what he felt or holding on so tightly, he wanted to protect Sethe from the hurt she would feel if – when – Denver left. The tin tobacco tin analogy can also be applied to the black community in the novel. When a teacher comes to take Sethe's children to Sweet Home, the community doesn't warn her and Baby Suggs. There are abolitionists and Underground Railroad workers scattered throughout Cincinnati in this novel, so why wasn't Sethe warned? D...... middle of paper ...... singing about memories can hurt yourself and others. Feelings are to our heart like air is to a balloon. If you continue to put air into a balloon without releasing some every now and then, the balloon will burst. The same can be said, figuratively, about your heart. If you keep hoarding feelings in your heart and never stop to deal with them, you will explode. You will end up letting your feelings get in the way and prevent you from taking care of yourself. Paul D let his feelings stop him from loving Sethe and the community let their resentment stop them from helping Sethe. When it comes to taking care of yourself, “you are your best thing.” You really are.Works CitedSparkNotes Editors. (2002). SparkNote on Beloved. Retrieved November 15, 2013 from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/beloved/Toni Morrison. (1987). Novel. Retrieved November 15, 2013 from Beloved.