How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I went cold with anger, then hot, then cold again. It wasn't right. It wasn't right for one body to own another or pull strings to make them jump. Why was Madam allowed to hit me or to treat Ruth like a toy? (8.22)
Even though Isabel has spent her entire life as a slave, it's interesting that she seems to be asking these questions for the first time. We can assume from Mary Finch's desire to free her family and teach Isabel to read that working for her was better than, say, working for the Locktons. It's only now, subjected to owners who truly see them as possessions, not people, that Isabel begins to question the system she's bought into forever.
Quote #5
"The beast has grown too large," the mayor said. "If it breaks free of its chains, we are all in danger. We need to cut off its head." (14.47)
When the mayor of New York says this, he's really speaking of the growing movement for independence and the need to snuff it out before it gains more power. On a metaphorical level, though, he could also be speaking of Isabel and her desire for freedom. While she doesn't recognize it at this point, Isabel has the power to overthrow her masters and seek her own liberty. She's growing larger in her ability to do so, though, and more capable of "breaking free."
Quote #6
The gentleman who accompanied Madam stepped forward. "The law is quite clear on this matter, sir. None of us want to live in a world where servants rule their masters." (21.103)
The Loyalist representing Madam when Isabel seeks Colonel Regan's help speaks on a couple of different levels here. Of course, he's first talking about the perceived dangers of slaves overruling the people who own them. He's also talking, though, about a world where the colonies of Great Britain rise up above their mother country's authority.