“Death Is Freedom”
This is a story of what would come to be known as the “tragic mulatto” trope in literature about race relations in America. Most editions contain a frontispiece that is a drawing of a woman jumping off a bridge to her death in order to escape the bondage of slavery. The image is drawn in such a way, however, that with her outstretched arms one might well assume that she is ascending to heaven. The “tragedy” of mulatto is that caught between two worlds of so-called “race” the “black” side dooms the white side to racial prejudice, discrimination or even slavery. Under such conditions, the metaphor of death as freedom becomes particularly more literal in meaning.
The Chase
An extended, imagery-laden passage describes the hunt for runaway slaves using the dreaded bloodhounds. It is viscerally exciting while at the very time attaining depths of perverse human abomination. The use of metaphor is surprisingly light-handed and spare which serves only to intensity its intended effect:
“Nearer and nearer the whimpering pack presses on; the delusion begins to dispel; all at once the truth flashes upon them like a glare of light; their hair stands on end; ‘tis Tabor with his dogs.”
The Perversity of Christian Slaveholding
To any normal actively working mind, the tenets of Jesus Christ as expressed in the Bible could not stand more directly in opposition to concept created by man than slavery. That was not the perspective of southern Christians, not even ministers. The holiest foundation of humanity according to Christians who saw nothing irreconcilable in their views toward slavery is testament to just how far outside the principles actually found in the holy document they maintain to worship were willing to go:
“Marriage is, indeed, the first and most important institution of human existence—the foundation of all civilization and culture—the root of church and state.”
It is worth nothing, of course, that marriages between slaves were not considered legally binding.
Simile Simplicity
The novel is less dependent upon the simple simile to lend an extra dimension of depth to character description and reaction. And even when it the power of comparison afforded b the simile is introduces, it remains at the more unsophisticated levels of understanding:
“He dropped her hand as if a rifle ball had struck him; and it was not until after long hesitation, that he began to make some reply about the necessity of circumstances.”
Metaphorical Complexity
An interesting feature of the writing is that it juxtaposes the simplicity of its similes with more elevated and artful forms of direct metaphor. The paragraph which opens the chapter titled “The Quadroon’s Home” describes the aesthetic beauty of its architecture rather directly before diving deep into the world of metaphor for critical commentary:
“The tasteful hand of art had not learned to imitate the lavish beauty and harmonious disorder of nature, but they lived together in loving amity, and spoke in accordant tones.”
