Uncle Tom's Children Chapter Summary & Analysis - "Big Boy Leaves Home," Part 1 Summary

"Big Boy Leaves Home," Part 1 Summary

Big Boy and his friends Lester, Buck and Bobo walk through the grass, carefree. They joke to each other and sing songs. One song is a "yo' mama" freeform, and they look for rhymes that will finish it. Finally, they use a made-up word, "quall," singing it with a bawdy inflection. The next song is religious, about a glory train to salvation. They fix on a literal meaning, and discuss actual trains they like. Lester, Buck and Bobo plan to jump Big Boy and pin him down. They try, but Big Boy gets Bobo by the neck and chokes him, causing the other two to back off. Big Boy gloats over his victory and taunts his friends with how smart he is.

"Big Boy Leaves Home," Part 1 Analysis

This scene sets the stage of the action. While the boys are typical, foul-mouthed teenagers, they are concerned mainly with innocent pursuits. The make fun of each other,...
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