Chains #2

Chains

Laurie Halse Anderson

Historical Fiction

107/300 pages read

In this section of the book, Isabel and Ruth arrive to their new home in New York with Mr. and Miss Lockton. The owners were demanding, and separated Ruth from Isabel during the day as much as they could. When Isabel is sent to bring some clean water, she meets another slave boy called Curzon, who gives her a deal: if she spies on her master and proves that he is a Loyalist, then they will be freed by the Patriots at the end of the war. At first she doesn’t want to accept the offer because it is very dangerous but soon she realizes that it’s the only way to free Ruth and herself. Soon she realizes that it is very easy for her to eavesdrop on her master’s conversation because people didn’t pay a lot of attention to slaves like her. As she hears some of Master Lockton’s plans she passes them on the Curzon by sneaking out at night and finally one day she hears Master Lockton and two other men planning to murder George Washington and takes the evidence to the Patriots. Soon many of the people who were involved in the plan began to flee and Mr. Lockton decided to run away too leaving Miss Lockton behind.

I really like this book so far and it really gives me an understanding of how badly people treated their slaves. Yes, my recent reading has fulfilled my expectations because it was interesting and a very important event happened: the Loyalists were planning to murder George Washington but the Patriots found out their plan from the main character of the book, Isabel. For my further reading I expect that Ruth will be separated from Isabel and sold somewhere else, but Isabel will also run away to find Ruth.

“Madam snatched the broom from Becky’s hands and raised it over her head. “She has the Devil in her!” “No, Madam it’s an illness!” I cried. “An ailment, nothing more.” Madam brought the broom down on the small twisted body. Ruth couldn’t raise her arms to protect herself. The seizure held her fast, her arms and legs trembling, her eyes wide but not seeing.” (Anderson, 93)

This quote made me feel very angry with Miss Lockton because she beat a young child just because of an illness, not even trying to understand that it wasn't Ruth’s fault that she has the illness. It shows that slaves were very badly treated and that they were often hit and beat.