John's Hand

John's hand is brutally broken by his new owner, Mr. Richards, symbolizing the brutality he endures as a slave.

The Stays

Stays are a garment similar to a corset or girdle, and metaphorically symbolize the restrictions of women's freedom at the time of this novel. Like the stays, which are uncomfortably tight and restrict women's breathing and full movements, women do not have full access to the same rights and freedoms as men during this time. Eliza continues to wear her stays well into her pregnancy, until Elizabeth throws them out the window and Cassie says an animal carried them away.

John's Initials

John reveals that he carves his initials into the underside of a plank on each ship he builds, and these are John's symbolic departure from slavery and Portsmouth. He has the opportunity to leave at one point, but his love for Eliza...