y resolve to put an end to it. This inacceptance can be seen not only in the friendship between the women of the convent, but also in the hatred for the midwives. The men of Ruby have a hard time being dependent upon women, thus leading to this hatred.An important thing to remember while reading Paradise is that the convent sees a constant flow of women coming and going, making it difficult to figure out who really lives there. The fact that there is a constant influence and interaction with the women within and without the convent suggests that while the convent is seen as a horrid place, it in a sense serves as a therapy for the town’s women willing to be helped.One of the many ironies of the novel is the belief of the town’s people that Ruby is paradise. They carry great pride in recognizing their achievements, which in the process creates a society in which women are required to be weak and submissive. During an interview in the New York Times, Morrison states that traditionally, paradise is described as a “male enclave while the interloper is a woman (Smith).” This viewpoint stems as far back as the book of Genesis with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and although true during that period in time, should not be applied to present day society. Thus, Morrison turns this around by suggesting that the convent is paradise—- a place for women to thrive without the “interference” of men.The name of the town itself credits a woman, greatly contradicting the views prevailing in the town currently. It can be deduced that the oncoming downfall of the town is due to the town’s loss of identity by forgetting its foundation as a place for these blacks who were not accepted in another all black town because of their skin tone. The convent and the women in it then in a sense serve as a means of transforming the town into how it should be. Unfortunately, the men of Ruby are unable to deal ...
