The Effects of Slavery

There is no doubt about the negative effects of slavery, both at that time in history and on future generations, but the characters of this novel bring up some new outlooks and examples of this theme; from Garrison Hall's idea that the descendants of slaves are better off because their ancestors came to America to the tragic story of Josephine Bell, the novel demonstrates an array of characters and events that fit this theme.

Josephine's story is an important part of the novel. Born a slave and never knowing any other life, she still instinctively knows that there is a better life waiting for her if she can escape her bondage. As a slave, her every action and thought are property of her owners. This includes her art, which Lu Anne Bell claims as her own. Josephine's attitude on the day she runs...