Characters
Abyssinian Queen - During chapter four she is the driving force behind the escape of Nicodemus and Abednego. It is her memory that keeps them going during the tough times of their journey to freedom. "The sampler reminded them: follow the Drunkard's Path. It was one of the lessons the Abyssinian Queen had drummed into their skulls (page 106)."
Madame Fairfield - Madame Fairfield is the wife of David Fairfield and the lady of the Fairfield Plantation. Although in earlier chapters she is seen as having a negative outlook on her husbands relations with the Abyssinian Queen it is discovered in this chapter that she is also having relations with a slave. It is also discovered in chapter 4 that Madame Fairfield is highly involved in many aspects of the plantation based upon her knowledge of everything that occurs on the plantation. "The lady of the house giggled naughtily and assured the boys that she knew everything that happened on her plantation. She had eyes everywhere, she says, and no one could hide from her (page 96)."
Abednego - Abednego is the older of the Abyssinian Queen's children. In this chapter it is discovered that he is having relations with a white house slave and when he discovers that she has been sent to a bordello in Charleston he makes the decision with Nicodemus that now is the time to escape. During chapter four Abednego is also seen as taking pride in the fact that he is the elder brother and as a result wishes to take charge and be the leader. During their escape he becomes sick and ironically ends up relying upon Nicodemus to be the leader and take care of him. "Now that Abednego was strong again he was secretly gnawed by the fact taht it was his younger brother who had had to look after him when it should have been the other way around. He was determined to prove himself this time, and would be sure to take a leadership role on the rode to Canaan (page 113)."
Nicodemus - Nicodemus is the younger of the Abyssinian Queen's two children. In this chapter it is discovered that he is now one of the prized studs on the Fairfield Plantation and is given the duty of creating valuable "crops". During the escape he plays both the part of the older, more reliable brother and the younger, less mature brother. This is the result of both him taking care of his brother while he is sick and the fact that he continues to play his flute even when they are attempting to escape from slavery. His flute playing ultimately was a blessing eventually when it drew the attention of Birdman, who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
The Slave Trader - The reader never actually finds out his name but he discovers Nicodemus and Abednego and poses as a abolitionist. He tricks them into believing that he will lead them to freedom until Nicodemus and Abednego attack him and get away.
The Hermit - He is the first person that Nicodemus and Abednego meet after they cross the Ohio River. "They were welcomed by an old hermit, perhaps over 80 years old, who was so senile he was not aware that the Revolutionary War came to an end 60 years before (page 113)." He provides them with shelter and food and after two weeks they buy their "freedom" from him.
Birdman - Birdman is a Conductor on the Underground Railroad and discovers Nicodemus and Abednego in the forest when he hears the music from Nicodemus's flute. Birdman is also the first completely free African American that Nicodemus and Abednego have ever met. He explains to them how the Underground Railroad functions and takes them to their first safehouse.
Station Master - He is a Quaker and the owner of the Underground Railroad stop where Birdman takes Nicodemus and Abednego. He is not trusted by Nicodemus and Abednego as a result of their experiences with the white slave trader that posed as an abolitionist. He attempts to protect the two of them when the slave hunters discover them at his house.
William Tobia - He is the slave hunter that discovers Nicodemus and Abednego. He is known for his brutal methods of finding fugitive slaves which often resulted in free men being sold into slavery. While searching the house he and his two partners get into a scuffle with Nicodemus and during the fight one of the partners shoots and kills Nicodemus. He inturn kills the man for killing his "five hundred big ones".
Plot Summary
Chapter four begins on the Fairfield Plantation in the middle of winter. While playing outside one night Nicodemus and Abednego witness Madame Fairfield leaving the slave quarters. It is discovered that she is having an affair with a slave and the next day she call both of them to the house to talk to them. During the discussion she both informs them that she knows everything that goes on on the plantation and that if they told anyone about what they had witnessed she would make their lives hell. She also informs Abednego that the white slave he had been having relations with had been shipped to a bordello in Charleston because she could not bare children. This proves to be the last straw and that night the two boys flee the plantation. Their escape begins poorly when they discover that they had gone South instead of North and to make matters worse Abednego becomes sick. While resting in a ghost tree a fire they make attracts a man who introduces himself as an abolitionist who would lead them to freedom. After following him for quite some time they discover that he is a slave trader and fight to get away, which they eventually accomplish. They again begin heading north, eventually reaching Ohio where they meet an old hermit who takes them into his house as his "slaves". He nurses Abednego back to full health and the boys buy their freedom with a musket that they took from the slave trader. They then are discovered by Birdman who works on the Underground Railroad. He takes them to a safehouse in Athens. Shortly after getting there they are discovered by William Tobia and his band of slave hunters and during the ensuing scuffle Nicodemus is shot and killed by one of the men. Despite the death of his brother and his dieing words which urged him to get to Canada, Abednego travels only until he gets to Tabler Town where he settles down and marries the daughter of Harry Corbett.
Questions:
1) What do you think the significance of the ghost trees is? How were they significant in this chapter if at all?
2) Based upon how the quilts were used in chapter four what would you say is there most important function?
Questions:
1) What do you think the significance of the ghost trees is? How were they significant in this chapter if at all?
2) Based upon how the quilts were used in chapter four what would you say is there most important function?
20 comments:
I thought this was a really interesting presentation and explained the chapter well. I thought the questions were really good ones to ask because they were major topics in the chapter.
I thought that the realization of the fact that Abednego and Nicodemus hid things inside the ghosts trees like Orpah does. I thought this presentation was well thought out and very down to the point making it easier to see the facts and allowing us to make conclusions about future events.
1. I think the significance was to aid in slave escapes. It helped by allowing slaves to hide inside of the tree and away from slave catchers.
2. I believe the importance of the quilts were to keep the fugitive slaves hopes alive. It gave them something to look forward to when the queen told the stories and it gave them objects and symbols to look for while on their escape.
I thought the significance of the ghost trees in this chapter dealt with hiding because Nicodemus and Abednego used them to hide from slave hunters and for shelter. I thought the quilts were important in this chapter because they were used by the boys as a map of their escape and also they were used as warmth and comfort.
Good job on your presentation.
The trees were comfort and shelter for the boys. They not only were physical hiding places but also made the boys feel safe. The quilts were more for inspiration as the boys got further along their journey. I think it helped them a little directionally but even when they had the map "crazy quilt" the went south instead of north. This was a really good presentation and explained each characters roles in chapter four.
I agree that the ghost trees were used as a safety spot and the quilts were used to help the boys be connected with their mom. This presentation went very well because all the main topics were addressed.
I think the ghost trees are important for hiding things. They hide the bundles that the boys take with them when the escape. Also the boys hide in a ghost tree throughout their journey. I think the main function of the quilts are to remember their mother and their life before the escaped. They did a really good job at stating who and what the characters were in chapter 4.
I think ghost trees serve as a way to keep secrets and provide a place for people who want to find secrets to look.
I think the most important function of the quilts was to carry on the memory or legacy of past owners.
i thought that they did a good job of expressing the significance of the ghost trees. I liked their overall explanation of the chapter, and the information that they gave about the characters in this chapter. They
Ghost trees not only hold secret about the past, but also held the secrets of the Abyssinian Queen hiding a stash for her children to escape...and hiding the children during their escape
We also see Ghost trees as "spirit trees" when Nicodemus is playing his flute inside one, and the imaginations of some running away with ideas of oppressed spirits speaking to the living.
2) Based upon how the quilts were used in chapter four what would you say is there most important function?
Memories...the memories of how to escape, the memories of home, the memories of a mother who wanted more for her children than she did for herself...memories of her self-sacrifice
Great job guys, a lot of material to present in a short amount of time...
Good job both of you, especially on the questions. I would have like to see more visual support and creativity on the blog though.
The significance of Ghost trees is that they connect hte boys to their family, and they have practical use in aiding their escape.
I thought they did a great job of giving us a little bit of insight to each one of the characters that were talked about in chapter three. The ghost trees were a major part of the chapter because we were left off in the last chapter with wondering how they would play into the rest of the story. Now we see that the ghost trees were shelter, comfort, and again a symbol for the boys.
1.) The ghost tress provided shelter and provisions for the boys on their journey.
2.) The quilts gave advice, directions and warmth.
The presentation as a whole was solid and insightful, well done.
1. The ghost tree is used a lot in this chapter. The boys hide in one big enough to fit a whole family inside and the supplies for the boys was stored inside a ghost tree.
2. The quilts could be used for many things a long the journey. Warmth was probably a big one. It was winter and it gets really cold, so they could have been used for that.
I thought is was a very good presentation. It had a lot of information and a great summary. Good job!
The significance of the ghost trees is to keep refugee slaves hidden and safe. The trees provide them with shelter and keeps them and their supplies hidden. The trees are something that the boys grew up with, so they are familiar and reassuring. It is said that there was evidence that others had been there for days on end even, giving them a slight sense of safety.
The quilts are another reminder to the boys, it keeps them connected to their roots and provides a path from their past into their future of hopeful freedom. The quilts also had practical use in keeping the runaways warm during the cold winter months.
First i believe that the ghost trees serve as sort of a historical piece of the puzzle that was he journey to freedom. They can tell stories of past slaves and help serve as motivation to continue on to freedom.
Secondly, not only were the quilts a remembrance of their mother (and later Nicodemus) but they also served a huge role in keeping the boys alive with warmth and advice to continue trudging through the winter.
I found the presentation to summarize everything that we needed to get out of the chapter and then some. Good job fellers.
To me the ghost trees ultimately represented hope. While at the Plantation the supplies that were needed were stored in a ghost tree and while they were escaping they used a tree for shelter. The quilts were important in an emotional way. They reminded them of where they came from and where they were going. I feel like the presentation went well.
The ghost tree is of great significance. It is a shelter, and a place of hiding. Not only does it hide people, and supplies, but it hides secrets. Ancestors are related to the ghost trees throughout the book.
I think the most important function of the quilts were the fact that it partially kept Abednego alive. If he had not used to quilt to keep him warm, he would have not been the sole surviver of the journey.
1)The significance of the ghost tree is it's richness of heritage as a place of hiding or shelter not only for the slaves but for the belongings they need.
2)It's most important function was to just be the connection between the boys and their mother who couldn't be with them. She seemed to just want them to have something as a memory and was satisfied with the idea that her children were safe and she was willing to give her life for them.
One interesting thing about this was that back them people were posing as abolitionist to trick slaves back into slavery.
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