How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
I shook from the effort of holding myself still, clutching the crumpled paper. Momma said we had to fight the evil inside us by overcoming it with goodness. She said it was a hard thing to do, but it made us worthy.
I breathed deep to steady myself.
I threw the Captain's note into the fire. (43.22-24)
Why is burning a piece of paper such a big deal, you might ask? When Isabel destroys Captain Farrar's note, she's not just defying Madam Lockton's orders, she's declaring once and for all that she sides with the Patriots… which means she is also defying the code that slaves are to align themselves politically with their owners. It's a highly symbolic gesture that makes it clear that she will no longer play by slavery's rules.