George’s response calls out Mr. Wilson’s hypocrisy by comparing slavery to something the man himself would never accept for himself. Instead of obeying Mr. Wilson’s advice to be compliant and accept life as a slave, George asks him to put himself in his shoes, imagining a scenario in which Wilson is treated the same way and asks him whether he would try to escape rather than claim it was “God’s will.”

When both Shelbys' realize the truth, we see that Mrs. Shelby is relieved and thankful that Eliza has escaped, believing it will keep her safe. In contrast, Mr. Shelby reacts with shock and concern, showing that his feelings are opposite to his wife’s happiness. However, it seems that his worry is more about his business dealings. I believe despite this, his kind treatment of Tom and the other enslaved people suggests he may still be hoping for Harry and Eliza’s safety, even if he fears the consequences of their escape.

This sentence reveals the master's jealousy and how threatened he feels by George’s confidence, skill, and intelligence. Seeing George’s accomplishments at the factory makes the master view him as more than just a worker, so he acts quickly to reduce George back to a piece of property by taking him home and forcing him into hard labor.

Brown describes the brutal killing of an enslaved man in this passage and shows how violence against enslaved people was treated as a normal occurrence. Despite the man’s claims of innocence, they chased, tortured, and killed him and left his body. to be removed and discarded like trash on the side of the road. This shows readers how enslaved people were dehumanized.

This moment captures a slave song that describes the suffering of enslaved Africans who are taken from their homes, sold in America, and separated from their families. Many spirituals express deep pain, especially over the loss of husbands, wives, and children; at the same time, the song brings about images of hope for a “better day” and “sounding the jubilee”.

The outdated term “quadroon” was used to describe a person who was believed to have one-quarter African ancestry. This passage reflects how such labels affected how enslaved women like Cynthia were viewed, valued, and controlled, even when they were described as moral or respectable.