Underground To Canada

“The stable boys ran like hopping toads to the children who carried water to the field hands in the cotton rows. ‘A slave trader from the deep South is comin,’ they whispered. Up and down the cotton rows the message spread, faster than a winging bird.”

In this passage the author shows how, in spite of their limited means, enslaved people were able to effectively spread messages through their community. This communication helped people understand the conditions in the world beyond the plantation and was especially useful for sharing knowledge about potential escape routes and destinations.

“Mammy shook Julilly into listening. ‘If we are sold apart, June Lilly, and the Lord forbid, don’t forget that freedom land I told you about. You and I are strong. We’ll get there with the guidance of that star, and the good Lord’s help.’”

This quotation foreshadows the events of the following chapter, in which Julilly is cruelly separated from her mother when a slave trader from Mississippi buys her for the Riley plantation. In this quotation the author also hints that Mammy and Julilly will both try to escape their enslavement at some point soon, piquing the reader’s interest and laying the foundation for Julilly’s persistent interest in Canada.

“The little children around her wore skimpy clothes. They pressed against Julilly with their hot, dry skin and whimpered like tiny, forgotten sheep. Julilly held two small hands, both sticky with sweat and dust.”

In this passage Barbara Smucker shows the tragic consequences of family separation as Julilly tries to care for the young children the slave trader took from their parents. This passage endears Julilly to the reader as she takes on the responsibility of comforting and caring for the young kids.