Light (Motif)
Light is one of the most frequently recurring motifs in the novel, as it works to both reveal and conceal the truth. Samuel and Isaiah are often described as “glowing” with light from the perspective of other characters, and characters like Ruth, Paul, and Timothy are attracted to a “light” coming from the barn. At one point, Paul sees Isaiah and Samuel glowing so brightly they appear to be “consecrated.” Light reveals the truth of things.
The Barn (Symbol)
The barn that Samuel and Isaiah sleep in at night is a symbol of refuge, as it is set aside from the rest of the farm. However, ultimately the barn’s security is also fragile, because it still exists within the plantation and under Paul’s control, and it is also a symbol of their exploited labor.
The Prophets (Symbol)
Referenced in the title and all throughout the novel, the prophets symbolize hope and guidance to the enslaved communities. In the various short chapters titled after books of the Bible, the prophets speak as seven, witnessing and remembering in hopes that the enslaved people will get their freedom one day. The spiritual beliefs among the enslaved are rooted in Africa, where their ancestors used to listen to spirits for guidance and blessings.
Solomon
Though he never speaks, Essie’s half-white, half-black son is an important symbol of the trauma and conflict that slave masters inflicted on their slaves. Solomon is the product of rape, but Essie is forced to raise him—she comments on how she resents him for the unwanted changes that he has incurred in her body. Solomon represents the loss of bodily autonomy that slaves endured.
The River (Symbol)
The river where Samuel and Isaiah wash is a symbol of both opportunity and reprieve. Located in the woods and in nature, the river is an obstacle that must be crossed in order to escape the plantation, but it is also a border beyond which the unknown lies. It is also a brief reprieve from the plantation, as the overseers and slave masters do not wash in the river.
Empty (Symbol)
The Halifax plantation, fittingly nicknamed Empty by its inhabitants, symbolizes the hollowness and emptiness of its slave-owning masters. Too focused on their own greed and pride, the Halifaxes cannot see the degradation and indignity they are forcing upon the enslaved people and themselves.
