Chapter XXIX – The
Unprotected
The servants know they are not safe under the care of Mrs. St. Clare, now that Mr. St. Clare is
gone, and even Miss Ophelia is of no influence when she attempts to persuade
Marie not to send Rosa out to be whipped by a man, but rather to do it
herself. The servants over hear that
they are to be sold, and when Ophelia approaches Marie regarding Tom’s freedom,
Marie is indignant because she knows Tom is one of the more valuable servants
and cannot believe he would even care about his liberty. Miss Ophelia desperately writes a letter to
Mr. Shelby for help.
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Tom is purchased by Simon Legree. |
Chapter XXX – The Slave
Warehouse
This is a place where slaves
are brought to be sold and, as for many, separated from loved ones; they must be made
to look healthy and well with a bright attitude so as to catch a fair price or
else be subject to cruelty. Here is the
story of a mother and her fifteen-year old daughter, Susan and Emmeline respectfully,
anticipating their separation at auction and their master, a Christian man, who
was forced to sell his servants, although he was uncomfortable about it, yet,
the value was too great for his morality.
Susan’s new master could not afford to take Emmeline, too; Emmeline was
sold to Mr. Legree, along with Tom and several others.
Chapter XXXI – The Middle
Passage
Simon Legree takes his new
servants, chains their legs and wrists, two by two, and heads to his
plantation. He is the extreme
opposite of a slave owner, as we have seen.
He reduces his slaves to nothing by taking all of their belongings,
keeping them dressed in rags, and threatening their lives. His plans for
Emmeline are obvious. Poor girl!
Chapter XXXII – Dark Places
Legree’s property is
disheveled and neglected. He keeps two
other slaves as his principle hands, and he has trained them to be as brutal as
he is, while all of the slaves have learned to abuse the weak as a way to survive. Meanwhile, Legree takes Emmeline into the
house with him, though it is apparent that he already keeps another slave
woman, and Tom is reduced to sleep in straw on the floor among other servants
in a small, putrid shanty. Tom was able
to share his Bible with a couple of women who had never heard Scripture before,
and he question whether it is possible for the untrained to ever have hope
in misery.
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