The People Could Fly Transformation Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)

Quote #7

A young man slave fell from the heat. [...] Toby come over and spoke words to the fallen one. [...] He got up and rolled over on the air. (21)

Toby waits until the last possible second to speak the magic words needed for the transformation. While the Master and his henchmen think that abusing people will break their spirits, they're really just setting the stage for their ultimate downfall. That's poetic justice at its finest.

Quote #8

There was a great outcryin. The bent back straightened up. Old and young who were called slaves and could fly joined hands. (27)

Suddenly, the transformation takes hold throughout the whole plantation. The idea that these people were merely "called" slaves emphasizes that they've been hiding in plain sight the whole time. No matter what their so-called "Master" does, he can never change their fundamental selves—he can never completely own them.

Quote #9

So they say. The Overseer told it. The one called Master said it was a lie, a trick of the light. The Driver kept his mouth shut. (31)

Naturally, the boss can't believe what he saw. This isn't surprising—if he were to admit that these people are magical beings, he'd also have to admit that he's in serious trouble. Interestingly, only the Driver, who has the most contact with the slaves on a daily basis, seems to believe his eyes.