Roots: The Saga of an American Family Women and Femininity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

[S]he saw that his other hand was holding up a short-handled whip, cocked ready for use. But it was the glazed leer on the white mans' face that froze her where she stood. (84.2)

Kizzy, like many women who were trapped in the American slave trade, is raped and abused by the slave-owner who steals her away from her family. It's maybe the single most gut-wrenching moment in the novel. Instead of ignoring it, however, it's important to acknowledge its horror so we fully understand the way that women were victimized by the institution of slavery.