How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
Now Sarah carried a babe tied to her back. She trembled to be so hard worked and scorned. (5)
Sarah is in dire straits. Can you imagine having to work all day while caring for your child? It seems impossible. Somehow Sarah is expected to suffer like this, day in and day out.
Quote #2
The owner of the slaves […] was a hard lump of clay. […] A hard rock pile, wouldn't be moved. (6)
The Master is one bad dude. Although he witnesses tons of suffering every day, he doesn't care one bit so long as he's making boatloads of money. What kind of monster could act that way?
Quote #3
So the one called Driver cracked his whip over the slow ones to make them move faster. (6)
Although the Master runs the show, it's the Driver that actually inflicts the violence. In fact, that's probably how the Master creates so much suffering without batting an eye—he has other people do the dirty work for him.
Quote #4
Sarah […] couldn't stop to soothe and quiet it down. She let it cry. She didn't want to. She had no heart to croon to it. (8)
After so much suffering, Sarah's spirits are almost broken. She wakes up every day only to work; she's forced to watch her own child go through untold pain; and she's abused on a constant basis. Everyone has a breaking point, and Sarah has reached hers.
Quote #5
The Driver cracked his whip across the babe anyhow. The babe hollered like any hurt child, and the woman fell to the earth. (9)
This is, hands down, the most upsetting image in the entire story. Is there anything more cruel or heartless than someone whipping a baby? Not in our book. At this moment, this all seems like too much for Sarah to handle.
Quote #6
Sarah couldn't stand up straight any longer. She was too weak. The sun burned her faced. The babe cried and cried. (13)
After everything, Sarah is left beaten down both physically and emotionally. While physical suffering is more visible, the psychological side of things can be even more crippling—without hope for the future, it can be difficult to go on.
Quote #7
"Get up, you black cow," called the Overseer. He pointed his hand, and the Driver's whip snarled around Sarah's legs. (14)
While we see a woman at the end of her rope, the Overseer sees an unruly slave that needs to be punished. When is enough going to be enough? Will there be any end to this suffering? From Sarah's perspective, this must seem like a hopeless cause.
Quote #8
Say the next day was dead hot in the fields. A young man slave fell from the heat. The Driver come and whipped him. (21)
Now this is just disgusting. How would whipping someone with heatstroke help them work harder? At this point, it's clear that these punishments aren't even meant to make the people work harder—they're meant solely for the Master's sadistic pleasure.
Quote #9
Another and another fell from the heat. Toby was there. (22)
The one bright spot throughout this whole ordeal is Toby. Toby is a true leader to his people, doing his part to ease suffering whenever someone loses hope.
Quote #10
"Take us with you!" Their looks spoke it but they were afraid to shout it. Toby couldn't take them with him. (29)
Even after the people fly away, there are still plenty left behind on the plantation, and for them, the journey is just beginning. What's more, you can see that they're still too terrified of the Master to make their joy (and envy) clear.