“I say now, Shelby, this yer ’s a most extro’rnary business!
Honestly there is nothing special about this particular line except for emphasis on "extro'rnary." As an English major, I've taken a few editing classes and one thing that really stands out to me is how the author writes in "accents." It is really frustrating to read accents and makes reading this novel is cumbersome.
We don’t need them to tell us; you know I never thought that slavery was right—never felt willing to own slaves.”
I find that despite her strong sense of morality ironic since she still continues to participate in this system.
I have talked with Eliza about her boy—her duty to him as a Christian mother, to watch over him, pray for him, and bring him up in a Christian way; and now what can I say, if you tear him away, and sell him, soul and body, to a profane, unprincipled man, just to save a little money? I have told her that one soul is worth more than all the money in the world; and how will she believe me when she sees us turn round and sell her child?—sell him, perhaps, to certain ruin of body and soul!”
Christian morality is a strong idea throughout this book. This "sentimentality" is what was able to help move/change a nation.
But when I thought of slavery with its Democratic whips—its Republican chains—its evangelical blood-hounds, and its religious slave-holders
This line points out the hypocrisy of American democratic values and religion in an extremely powerful and poignant way.
My master had family worship, night and morning. At night, the slaves were called in to attend; but in the mornings, they had to be at their work, and master did all the praying.
Again I find the hypocrisy of the Church hilarious. The irony of keeping slaves and making them attend church is outstanding to me. There are direct passages in The Bible that go against the idea of slavery. We could look into the story of Moses, who led slaves into Egypt.
The man who stole me as soon as I was born, recorded the births of all the infants which he claimed to be born his property, in a book which he kept for that purpose.
I want to highlight the word "stole". That is extremely powerful use of language. The word "stole" invokes great emotion within me because it's the truth. Not only was he stolen from his mother but his childhood was also stolen.
Are you a Christian? This is the carrying out of practical Christianity; and there is no other. Christianity is practical in its very nature and essence. It is a life, springing out of a soul imbued with its spirit. Are you a friend of the missionary cause?
I love how the author pointed out a Christian argument, since there were Christian slave owners. It's interesting to see how the same religion can be used to justify slavery, while simultaneously used in the abolitionist cause as well.