From the very institution which sentenced him to death emerges one of Jefferson’s most compassionate allies. Sound familiar? If you know your early Christian history or paid attention in class, it definitely should. The arc of Deputy Paul Bonin’s interactions with Grant and Jefferson has echoes of the story of Saul of Tarsus. For those of you who don’t have as much prior knowledge on the subject, I thought I’d explain the parallels we observed in some more depth, as well as why they’re so significant.
Here, in a nutshell, is the story of the conversion of the apostle Paul:
Saul of Tarsus was a pharisee - a teacher of Jewish law, part of a sect which felt that Jews were beginning to become too much like the world around them and tried to go back to the laws of the scriptures. Pharisees were well known for being too fixated on law for their own good, which was especially true for Saul of Tarsus. Pharisees did not think Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah of the Jews, so they believed he was blaspheming. That’s why Saul was persecuting Christians – he believed they were following a liar and straying from Judaism.
On his way to arrest Christians in Damascus (capital of Syria), Saul saw a light from heaven and heard a voice asking him, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He fell to the ground and replied, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” Jesus’ voice responded. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Saul was blind for three days, and upon God’s command went to a Christian in Damascus who, also on God’s command, gave Saul sight once more. Saul immediately began preaching Jesus to the masses and was eventually accepted by other disciples who were understandably wary at first. Saul and the other apostles grew the church immensely in the years that followed. Unabridged version here: https://goo.gl/snQChW
(A note on names: He was born Saul of Tarsus, but dual names were common back then, so he was also called Paul his whole life. He likely changed his principal name to Paul since it’s a more familiar name to Gentiles and to symbolize the transformation he underwent.)
Alright, back to comparisons. With some more background on the apostle Paul, we can start to see some major differences as well as significant resemblances between the two narratives. We meet Deputy Paul about one-third through the book, the first time Grant visits Jefferson. By the end of the chapter, Paul already makes a good impression. Grant remarks that he “looks decent,” as opposed to his immediate negative impression of the head deputy. Already, we have a major difference: Saul was definitely not “decent” to Christians before his conversion. He pursued, jailed, and executed them. The fact stands, however, that Deputy Paul is a member of the system which opposes Jefferson, just as Saul was diametrically opposed to the Christian church.
As the story progresses, Deputy Paul continues to be kind and shows he cares about how things are going for Jefferson and Grant - ‘“What do you think?”’ Paul asks Grant after a visit (140). Once Grant’s been visiting awhile, Deputy Paul knows full well that Grant is a good man, and doesn’t want to search him. “He knew it was unnecessary to search me and the food, but he knew he had to do it” (168). Therein lies Deputy Paul’s conversion - he’s initially “decent” but seems to have no particular stake in how things turn out for Jefferson. By the end of the book, he’s so emotionally invested that he even attends Jefferson’s execution. While not as abrupt and extreme as Saul’s conversion, Paul’s increased sympathy for Jefferson is undoubtedly significant.
Looking past the end of the novel, our class speculated a lot on whether Deputy Paul would play a role advocating for the black community in the future. Though we’re given no explicit indication that he will, the resemblance to the story of the apostle Paul certainly points towards the possibility. The apostle Paul was one of the greatest allies of the early church after his conversion. God himself said “‘This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.’” Deputy Paul could very realistically hold a higher position of power later on than he does in the course of the book, and even if he is unable to bring about direct change to how the black community is treated, Grant and Paul created a bond through Jefferson that can advance the community’s racial relations in the long run. Despite the novel’s somber conclusion, the future is bright with Paul and all he can do for Jefferson’s legacy.
