Why are we supposed to be rooting for George and Zoe when George did absolutely nothing to protect her from enslavement and M'Closky?

M'Closky VERY much reminds me of Iago from Othello. Like Iago, he's slimy, conniving, jealous, and violent.

This text is so obviously written from the perspective of the opressor. From the author's perspective, Zoe accepts being enslaved so long as she is truthful to her opressors. In reality, any person experiencing enslavement would not be "content" with their situation. Slavery is very much romanticized in this text, and this line shows how little the playwright actually understands the plights of enslaved people. I'm sure not many people at the time would have faulted the playwright for writing the play, but it is very clear that this is not his story to tell (because he totally butchered it).

The implication that I am finding in what Zoe says is that the worst thing she can be is black. She is already a feeble, powerless woman, but the true mark on her character is that fact that she is an eighth black. The opinions of the playwright are very evident in this dialogue. Though Zoe may be beautiful, kind, and graceful she can never be truly "pure" because of her ethnicity. Yuck.