The iron slave bit that is mentioned in Beloved is
shown above. Thomas Branagan, the slave trader turned abolitionist describes
the iron bit: "through front and profile view of Superman's head, with
the mouth-piece and necklace, the hooks round which are placed to prevent an
escapee when pursued in the woods, and to hinder them from laying down the head
to procure rest." In the novel, this was the tool that prevented Paul D
from speaking to Halle and is a prime example of black people living in a world
of absurdity. Not only did this tool prevent the slave from speaking, but it
also prevented him from sleeping and eating.
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