Quotes characterized by characters longest memory PDF

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quotes said by characters in longest memory and detailed explanation of what quotes mean...

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Quotes characterized by characters Whitechapel 1. “Whinny like horses and bray like mules, grunt like hogs, howl like wolves or just plain with a gasp”. (Whitechapel). The similes described the workers as animals. Similes are telling the life of the slave. The workers are being given the traits of an animal shows that the workers are seen as insignificant and worthless. In describing the workers as animals, it shows that the workers are being owned by their owners and how their lives are being controlled, workers have no freedom. 2. “The whip seemed to cause the nerves to tighten as if it imbued the body with life rather than draining that life away”. (Whitechapel). The whip is a symbol for the division between the owners and the slaves. The whip represents the brutality that this society does to inflict pain on its citizens. 3. “The whip ate into him, but like all gluttons who have gorged themselves to their fill, it bit and chewed without swallowing”. (Whitechapel). Personification of the whip, which depicts the magnifying pain inflicted on Chapel. This quote relates to the theme Cruelty and Punishment. 4. “My view that a slave can live a good, long life if he worked hard and presented to his master the most dignified aspect of himself”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel is afraid to disobey his master and face the severe consequences, whilst Chapel is not afraid to stand up to his society. Whitechapel refuses to rebel against the injustice that he faces in his society. 5. “My hand is not the whip son”. (Whitechapel). 6. “Slave who experience everything for himself before coming to an understanding of anything and he who learns through observation”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel tries to teach his son, Chapel the way of a slave and what Chapel needs to do to prevent being whipped. This fails as it does not protect his family. 7. “First time I faced the world as a nobody nameless”. Whitechapel has no meaning, his life is not significant within his society due to his race. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel choses to have no name as remembering his name brings back horrifying memories of his son Chapel and the pain that Whitechapel inflicted on his son. 8. “Why must I be the witness to something I deserve more than anyone on this plantation?” (Whitechapel). Whitechapel feels as though he is the one that should suffer, he feels guilt for inflicting pain on other people. 9. “I’ve seen enough for one live, several lives.” (Whitechapel) Whitechapel does not want to see any more pain, does not want to suffer and feel guilty for what he did to Chapel. Whitechapel has endured slavery and loss of family members. 10. “That’s when I learned how to live without being hurt by life”. (Whitechapel, Page 5). Whitechapel realizes that from this moment, that his way of life in obeying his masters is not sustainable. It does not protect slaves from being beat and ultimately it does not protect his family. Whitechapel loses his place in his society. 11. “When the stars I see from a knock that recurs and the sky is close and black, always black”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel has a negative mindset, all he feels is pain and grief over the loss of his son. 12. “This is the world we find ourselves in. We have to learn to live in it, otherwise we will be miserable and bring trouble tumbling onto our heads.” Chapel does not believe this. Chapel refuses to live in his society, a world full of suffering. Chapel attempts to rebel against his

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society, tries to implement change and endeavours to bring peace and equality between white people and black people. “I was just a boy, mule, nigger and slave, or whatever else anyone chose to call me”(Whitechapel). This society labels its citizens, blacks and negros are considered to be worthless. “”The future is just more of the past waiting to happen (Whitechapel). Whitechapel lives in a society were blacks, negros are discriminated against. Whitechapel does not want to remember his son’s death as it brings him guilt and pain. Whitechapel expresses a sense of hopelessness is indicated as the slaves believes that the future is nothing more than the past waiting to happen. Whitechapel foreshadows the upcoming events with a warning of sorts as he himself is trying to forget the story that is being foretold. F “You do now want to know my past nor do you want to know my name for the simple reason that I have none and would have to make it up to please you”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel does not want to remember his name as remembering brings him back horrible memories of his son. Whitechapel feels guilty for what he did to his son, Chapel, i.e Whitechapel told his master where Chapel was hiding. “The last time I cried was over the pointless death of a boy I loved as my own. I swore it would be the last time because it hurts more than any pain I ever felt before or since”. (Whitechapel). Crying brings Whitechapel pain. Crying brings back memories of his son. Whitechapel feels guilty and remorse of what he did to his son. Whitechapel tries to forget to hide his guilt and grief. Whitechapel lets his past behind by simply not using his name. “I don’t want to remember. Memory hurts. Like crying. But still and deep”. (Whitechapel). For Whitechapel, memory triggers what he did to his son, Chapel. Whitechapel blames himself for the death of his son, Chapel. Whitechapel suffers under the burden of guilt. “The bags under my eyes are sacks of worries, witnesses of dreams, nightmares and sleep from which a man should not be allowed to wake”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel’s nightmare is the reminiscence of his son being whipped by Saunder’s Junior. Whitechapel cannot sleep as he feels guilty for what he did. The memory of Chapel haunts Whitechapel forever, it hurts him. “That’s when I learned how to live without being hurt by life”. (Whitechapel) “To use my name in anger was the severest verbal form of disapproval my master could have shown me. For me, it was the verbal equivalent of a whip lash, what we call a tongue lashing. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel has no name, which shows his insignificance in his society. Whitechapel does not want to remember, memory brings him pain. “The night was torn to ribbons by their grief”. (Whitechapel) “”Now when I hear insects at dusk each click, clatter, and croak is the voice of blood asking for mercy. None was granted. My son, the last fruit of my wife’s womb, her joy, was granted none. (Whitechapel). This quote shows how brutal Whitechapel’s society is and how the society he lives in purposely inflicts pain and slavery, does not show mercy. Ï am a common slave. There is blood on my conscience. My memory is longer than time. I want to forget”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel does not want to remember. Whitechapel feels guilty for what he did to his son. “The sun begins because it must. When will it die? Will I witness the death? Sun, see me out of this world”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel longs for death, he doesn’t want to live anymore. Whitechapel blames himself for the death of his son, Chapel. “At last, I am without shame. My name is restored to me”. (Mr Whitechapel)

26. “Memory is pain trying to resurrect itself. (Page 138, The Virginian). Remember/Forgetting is justice. The writer alludes to the fact of how do we restore justice, do we remember, forget or leave it be? 27. My son, whose dreams were such that he argued that his children would be free”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel refuses to believe that freedom can be achieved and decides to obey with slavery. Whitechapel does not believe that change will ever occur in his society. 28. “”Now when I hear insects at dusk each click, clatter, and croak is the voice of blood asking for mercy. None was granted. My son, the last fruit of my wife’s womb, her joy, was granted none. (Whitechapel). This quote shows how brutal Whitechapel’s society is and how the society he lives in purposely inflicts pain and slavery, does not show mercy. 29. “Killer of children. Protector of the worst fate of your people or any people. Is that what I have become? The master of my fate. No longer in need of control or supervision?”. (Whitechapel). Whitechapel longs for death, Whitechapel has the realization that he is always following rules and being polite and respectful to the master and not questioning his position that he has in fact reinforced his own slavery. 30. “I never know crying could take over a body so, rock it, shake it, rattle it, thump it so that the body feels wrecked and cries without tears or movement of any kind”. (Whitechapel, Page 2) 31. “Memory rises to the skin then I can’t be touched”. (Whitechapel, Page 2). Memory about his son Chapel hurts, he feels guilty for what he did to his son. He blames himself for his son’s death. The use of imagery adds emphasis on Whitechapel’s pain. 32. “”I look with these blood-shot eyes that see without seeing, witness without registering a memory or sensation”. (Whitechapel, Page 5). Whitechapel does not want to remember Chapel’s beating as memory hurts him. 33. “”I closed those eyes after one last look at them”. (Whitechapel, Page 6). Whitechapel cannot stand to look at his son, it only brings him back guilty of what he did to his own son. Whitechapel obeyed his master to tell Mr Whitechapel about Chapel’s hiding spot. In doing so, Fred D’Aguair emphasizes that change within Chapel’s society cannot be implemented unless individuals like Chapel are willing to rebel against their society. 34. “Sour-face, they call me”. (Whitechapel, Page 6). People in the plantation call him Sour face because of the worry lines on his face that developed after Chapel’s death. He feels extremely guilty and only after Chapel dies that he realizes why Chapel disagreed with him stubbornly in life. 35. “My face says life is sour”. (Whitechapel, Page 8). To Whitechapel, life is cruel and resentful. Whitechapel does not want to live in his society anymore, he longs for death. 36. “Whacked me on the legs for delaying him”. (Whitechapel, Page 9). Everyone in the plantation blames Whitechapel for the death of Chapel. This quote is a reflection of the society that Whitechapel lives in, a society that is remorseless and callous. It reflects how injustice and brutality is normality. 37. “Paradise was the answer that I got from them”. (Whitechapel, Page 12). The notion of paradise represents the deep divisions that exist between the old slave Whitechapel’s views about death and other slaves hope in freedom. Chapel longed for freedom within his society and was willing to fight for it. Whitechapel only believes that paradise exist only when people die and go to heaven. In this way, Whitechapel suggests that freedom is merely an illusion, an attractive dream that will come to fruition. His pessimism leads him to reject rebellion and embrace obedience until it is too late, i.e when Whitechapel sees his son die, the paradise that he wanted his son to avoid. Though trying to keep his son away from believing the fantasies of liberty, Whitechapel discovers that his own trust in obedience is also a fantasy as he failed to protect his family. The concept of paradise thus highlights

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Whitechapel’s shift from his focus on physical preservation to his understanding that idealism and optimism are also important for life, as they are potentially capable of maintaining slaves humanity, sense of agency and hope for the future. “It was my view that a slave could live a good, long life if he worked together and presented to his master the most dignified aspect of himself, in order to reciprocate the same manner from that master, the same civility, fairness and even kindness once the relationship grew warm and cordial”. (Whitechapel). After Chapel’s death, Whitechapel realizes that his own trust in obedience is also a fantasy and does not work a he failed to protect his family. Whitechapel begins to realize that his obedience lead to more inflicting pain on himself. “There are two types of slaves : the slave who must experience everything for himself before coming to an understanding of anything and he who learns through observation”. (Whitechapel, Page 14). Whitechapel’s trust in obedience does not help protect his family. “God was just and fair and he and I should accept His judgement on us all”. (Whitechapel, Page 16). Whitechapel does not attempt to question Mr Whitechapel’s judgement that Chapel’s life is in God’s hands. Mr Whitechapel’s justification for slavery is moral is God and religion. “I am a common slave. There is blood on my conscience. My memory is longer than time. I want to forget. I don’t want to see anymore”. (Whitechapel, Page 26). Whitechapel is responsible for his son’s death, his son’s beating. Memory brings him pain, it continues on and it will never end. The short blunt statements adds emphasis on Whitechapel’s self inflicted pain and how he doesn’t want to live anymore. “A master of his own slavery”. (Whitechapel, Page 27). Whitechapel has inflicted pain on himself, his slavery is the guilt that he feels. Whitechapel does not want to experience life anymore, he is traumatized by life and what he has seen before his eyes. “The sun begins because it must. When will it die? Will I witness the death? Sun, see me out of this world”. (Whitechapel, Page 27). Whitechapel does not want to live anymore, does not want to experience life as life only brings him memory.

Mr. Whitechapel 1. “God should guide us in our dealings with slaves as he counsels us in everything else.”(Mr Whitechapel, Page 35). Mr Whitechapel justifies that slavery is moral through God. 2. “Africans may be our inferiors, but they exhibit the same qualities we possess, even if they are merely imitating us.”(Mr Whitechapel, Page 32),. Whitechapel still sees Africans as inferior, less worthy but recognizes that they are human beings too and attempts to treat them as equals. 3. “”We will pray and return to our affairs with God’s grace by our side”. (Mr Whitechapel). Mr Whitechapel uses God as his justification for slavery. 4. “I treat my slaves with humanity”. ( Mr. Whitechapel). This is ironic. Mr Whitechapel’s desire to protect slaves from unnecessary suffering also proves blind to the greater cruelty he inflicts on them; denying their freedom and equality, and making them vulnerable to the constant threat of physical violence. Like most slave owners, he also denies his slaves the opportunity to learn to read and write- which is why he is furious when he finds out that his daughter, Lydia, taught him to do so. Although he sometimes seems conflicted about his own behaviour, he ultimately prefers to believe he is a righteous slave owner. 5. “Treat them like equals and they respond with nobility”. (Mr Whitechapel, Page 29). Mr Whitechapel believes that he is treating his slaves with equality but like most slave ownershe denies his slaves the opportunity to learn to read and write- which is why he is furious when he finds out that his daughter, Lydia taught Chapel to do so.

6. “He instructed you in the responsibilities of your post. What were you thinking about when you struck them and had his son whipped to death before his eye”. ( Mr. Whitechapel, Page 31). Whitechapel instructing Saunders is ironic. 7. “Whitechapel is a good man. He deserved better treatment”. (Mr Whitechapel, Page 31). Mr Whitechapel respects Whitechpale and in this society respect= equality. 8. “At last, I am without shame. My name is restored to me”. (Mr Whitechapel, Page 78). Mr Whitechapel feels conflicted, torn in half by his contradictory thoughts. He feels as though he does not belong at the plantations’ owners club. Mr. Whitechapel’s isolation shows that he too is vulnerable in some ways, despite his powerful attitude on the plantation. In this sense, the domination over his slaves does not reflect the actual power he holds in society at last.

Chapel 1. “Lashes on a youthful spirit as a lesson for later life; to teach a slave his station.”(Chapel). 2. Ït was a mistake for him to spare the whip, sweeter from him than to have my back stripped”. (Chapel). This foreshadows Chapel’s death. 3. “With her gone nothing could keep me there. Father, I am running. I feel joy; not fear. “ (Chapel, Page 64). Chapel is not afraid to take risks, he is willing to fight against his society that prohibits black people from having equal rights and an education. Chapel is temperament. 4. “My mother is an angel without wings, fallen from grace the sun smoked her skin. (Chapel, Page 56). Chapel notions that anything angelic/pure is white. Chapel emphasizes that her mother is not as good as a white person. Adult slaves are taught younger slaves acceptable behaviour. 5. Ï must have got lost in the image of her, or the story of two star crossed lovers”. (Chapel). This is a reference to Romeo and Juliet. This relates to Chapel as Chapel and Lydia’s relationship is forbidden due to their race. Both Chapel and Lydia belong to different societal position in the society in the Longest Memory. 6. Ï promised never to open a book or pick up a pen”. (Chapel). Black people are not allowed to have a right to get an education. 7. “Darkness, I counter, drops an anchor slaves inherit from the cradle to the grave”. (Chapel). The anchor stops black people from being who they want to be. Black people are destined to become slaves in the society within the Longest memory and die a painful death. Race affects Chapel from achieving his full potential. 8. “She is lovely within; a pure light radiates from her; though black, her soul is white”. (Chapel, Page 56). Chapel sees his mother as good in every way but skin colour. Chapel sees that her mother is as equal as a white person. 9. “Lashes on a youthful spirt”. (Chapel, Page 57). In youthful spirit, there is no distinction between black and white. 10. “No relation to them but saw it fit to pour”. (Chapel, Page 57). Whitechapel passes on the way in which a slave should act. Slaves mentality is inherited, no change has been implemented across the society that they live in over several generations. 11. “He must have got it from seeing the master with his son”. (Chapel, Page 57). Chapel imitates the whites and in doing so, compares between Whitechapel and Cook to white people.

12. “Beatings that turned children’s faces from glee to a stony obedience, all around me”. (Chapel, Page 57). This depicts the obedience of the slaves, how they are willing and afraid to rebel against their society. 13. “Sweeter from him than to have my back stripped”. (Chapel, Page 58), This foreshadows Chapel’s death. It was a mistake for Whitechapel to spare Chapel birch. 14. “I loved the days hanging on mother’s dress. She labored in the master’s kitchen with this pest”. (Chapel, Page 58). Chapel idolizes his mother, he is full of love and admiration for his mother. Chapel describes Mr. Whitechapel as a pest, which has a negative connotation of evil and annoying. Chapel describes how her mother does not attempt to rebel and refuse to serve Mr. Whitechapel, showing the overall reflection that this society is willing to suffer and obey slavery. Chapel has a strong hatred for slave owners. 15. “To emulate the kindness and love he’s shown.” (Chapel, Page 58). Chapel does not have the same capacity to love and show kindness to Mr. Whitechapel and slave owners. 16. Ïn her possession soft, rectangular shapes”. (Chapel, Page 59). This is a reflection of books. Knowledge and Chapel’s notion of them, i.e soft= delicate= precious. Chapel finds a newfound freedom through education. 17. “The words as she sang them: I heard a choir”. (Chapel, Page 59). Chapel believes that books are his heaven, everything white is majestic and beautiful. 18. “I promise never to read and write again”. (Chapel, Page 62). Slaves are not allowed the opportunity to learn to read and write. Education= equality. Only white people are allowed an education. 19. Lydia 1. “Chapel, you will write his deep feeling for me. Chapel you will write verses and make our lives and the lives of our children rich”. (Lydia) Expression of love is worth more than money. Lydia values this...