Monday, January 29, 2007

Ch. 24 Quotes and Analysis

Chapter 24 Quotes and Analysis

Pg. 261: “His love was a tree, of course, but not like Brother – old, wide and beckoning.”

-This quote is mainly about the tough love that Paul D had left to give because of the dark past and history that he had endured. When he had witnessed Sixo being executed, he realized that he only had a little love in his heart to offer. Before, when Mr. Garner was around, his love used to be wide and welcome. But now he has closed himself off because he knows that he won’t be able to love anyone or anything to a certain extent. Even his heart was enslaved in slavery.

Pg. 266: “He laughs. A rippling sound like Sethe’s sons make when they tumble in hay or splash in rainwater. His feet are cooking; the cloth of his trousers smokes. He laughs. Something is funny. Paul D guesses what it is when Sixo interrupt his laughter to call out, ‘Seven-O! Seven-O!’”

-This quote shows that even though Sixo faces his imminent and impending death, he is still able to be happy knowing that the love of his life, and his child are still alive and free. This shows a lot about Sixo’s character and shows how faithful he is to his Thirty-Mile Woman and how devoted he was to keeping a family together. His sacrifice is the archetypal scapegoat who sacrifices himself for a greater good.

Pg. 267: “He has always known, or believed he did, his value – as a hand, a laborer who could make profit on a farm – but now he discovers his worth, which is to say he learns his price. The dollar value of his weight, his strength, his heart, his brain, his penis, and his future.”

-This quote shows the dehumanization of slaves and compares them with money. This quote shows how with or without Mr. Garner, they were given a monetary value and a value was given to every little thing. Also, it wasn’t just his physical strength that was given a value but his heart, brain, and his future as well. His emotions, his intellect, and his destiny are all worth a certain amount of money, and can be sold to the highest bidder.

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