The Mothers

by

Brit Bennett

Aubrey’s mother’s boyfriend and Aubrey’s sexual abuser. When Aubrey is still living at home, Paul makes his way to her room on a nightly basis and rapes her. Despite the horror of her boyfriend’s actions, Aubrey’s mother fails to do anything to protect her daughter. Eventually, Aubrey escapes Paul by moving to California to live with Mo.
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Paul Character Timeline in The Mothers

The timeline below shows where the character Paul appears in The Mothers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Four
Secrecy, Gossip, and Storytelling Theme Icon
Religion and Judgment Theme Icon
...an unstable love life and follows men all over the country. One of these boyfriends, Paul, used to sneak into Aubrey’s room and rape her, though she doesn’t tell Nadia this... (full context)
Secrecy, Gossip, and Storytelling Theme Icon
Internalization vs. Externalization Theme Icon
...seen each other in several years because Monique never visited home because she didn’t like Paul, her mother’s abusive boyfriend. In this moment, Aubrey reveals to Nadia that Paul used to... (full context)
Secrecy, Gossip, and Storytelling Theme Icon
Internalization vs. Externalization Theme Icon
Mrs. Sheppard is highly perceptive, but she still doesn’t know that Paul used to get drunk and hit Aubrey and her mother. “He’d moved in a year... (full context)