Those born into slavery were instantly separated from their mothers and families, deprived of the right to know their age or date of birth , sold at auction like livestock, and especially the others were considered property rather than human beings. Through the use of animal imagery, Morrison reveals the emotional toll of slavery, the animal behavior that slaves were reduced to, and the dehumanization of slaves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Morrison uses animal imagery to demonstrate the emotional toll of slavery. To illustrate, Sethe describes the men of Sweet Home when she arrived: “And so they were: Paul D Garner, Paul F Garner, Paul A Garner, Halle Suggs and Sixo, the wild man. Everyone in their twenties, minus the women, who fuck cows, dream of rape.” The diction “thrashing” describes the violent and animalistic characteristics exhibited by enslaved men. The motif of sex with cows shocks the reader because it illustrates the dehumanization of men and how a basic human need has been taken away from them. Additionally, “rape dreams” introduce the twisted mentality of enslaved men, due to their frequent submission to violence at the hands of their owners. Also, when the family goes to the Colored Carnival, they remarked, "When Wild African Savage shook his bars and said wa wa, Paul D told everyone he knew him in Roanoke" . The “Wild African Savage” is not actually a savage, but the whites at the carnival forced him to behave like one for money. The visual image of him “shaking his bars” demonstrates the animal characteristics he was forced to reproduce. This also reveals Paul D's characterization when he confirms that he knows this man, indicating that he felt compassion for him, as he can relate to his situation of having no control over his own life. Morrison's use of animal imagery shows the animal behavior of slaves. For example, after Stamp Paid informs Paul D about the murder of Sethe's baby, Paul D tells Sethe, "You have two feet, Sethe, not four." The animal imagery of the “four feet” animalizes Sethe. Due to her desperate and impulsive actions, Sethe is reduced to something less than human. Paul D thinks it is inhumane of Sethe to take the life of her own child. The metaphor comparing Sethe to a four-legged creature intensifies the bond between a human and an animal, as animals rely only on instinct, just as Sethe does in an attempt to save her children. Additionally, Sethe describes her experience with the teacher: “School teacher.” had scolded this nephew, telling him to think – just think – what his own horse would do if you beat him beyond the point of training.” The metaphor comparing slaves to a horse, another four-legged animal, once again indicates that slaves are not considered human and must be treated and beaten like animals until they learn to follow instructions. This shocks the reader because the visual image of beating a horse reveals the harsh and violent treatment slaves faced every day. Morrison uses animal imagery to explore the recurring motif of the dehumanization of slaves. For example, in Beloved's stream of consciousness chapter, she states: “. . . I would bite the circle around her neck, I would bite it, I know she doesn’t like it.” The “circle” is a symbol of slavery itself. A circle has neither beginning nor end, comparable to slavery for a slave, because the.