How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Sometimes, leaning over the cracked, "tattle-tale gray" bathtub, he scrubbed his father's back; and looked, as the accursed son of Noah had looked, on his father's hideous nakedness. It was secret, like sin, and slimy, like the serpent, and heavy, like the rod. (3.1.22)
In the Bible, Noah's son Ham is cursed because he looks at Noah's naked body while he's passed out, drunk. Many people take this curse to mean that Ham's descendants had black skin, and some have even used it to justify slavery. John makes the curse personal, wondering if he's cursed because he has sneaked a peek at his own father's goods.