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Therealheroineofthenovelstandsatoneremovetothenarrative.Onthefaceofit,readersaremorelikelytoempathizewith,andbecuriousabout,themysteriousandresourcefulslave,Sarah,whoformsonepointofanemotionaltriangle.SarahisthepropertyofManon,andcamewithhertoafailingLouisianasugarplantationonhermarriagetothegood-for-nothing,bullyingowner.ButManon’shusbandissoonstruckbySarah,andtheproofliesintheiridiotsmallson,Walter.
However,thereaderisforcedtoseethingsthroughManon’seyes,notSarah’s,andherconsciousnessisnotacomfortableplacetobe.Neverapleaseorathankyoupassesherlipswhentalkingtoslaves,thoughmannersistheorderofthedayinwhitesociety.Manonisenormouslyattractedbyinter-racialmarriage(fortheplaceandtime—theearly19thcentury—suchaconcernwouldnotbeunusual,butinhercaseitseemspathological).Walter,with“hisfather’scurlyredhairandgreeneyes,hismother’sgoldenskin,herfull,pushing-forwardlips”,istheobjectofherespecialhatred,butshechattersonaboutallthe“dreadfulmixed-blooded”,theobjectionable“yellow”people.
BeyondManon’spolarizedvision,weglimpse“freenegros”andtheemergingblackmiddle-class.ToManon’sdisgust,suchpeopleactuallyhaveself-respect.InNewOrleansbuyingshoes,Manonistakenabackbytheshopkeeper’slackofdesiredrespect.MixedraceprostitutesacquiredtheaffectionsofmaleplantersbygivingthemsomethingmysterioustheirwivescannotoftenWhatthatmightbe,andwhywivescan’tofferittoo,arequestionsManoncan’tevenask,letaloneanswer.
ThefirstthirdofthebookexplorestheuneasyandunsustainablepeacebetweenManon,Sarahandthemanalwayscalledjust“myhusband”or“he”.Againstthebackgroundofviolentslaverevoltsandequallysavagerevenges,it’sclearthepeacecannotlast.It’spartofthesubtletyofthisbookthatasthestorydevelopsandtheinevitableexplosionoccurs,ourviewofallthecharactersswiftlychanges.SarahturnsouttodeserveallthesuspicionManondirectsather;atthepointofdeathManon’shusbanddisplaysanadmirabletoughnessandcourage;andManonherselfwinsthereader’sreluctantadmirationforherbravery,herendurance,andhertotallackofself-pity.
Perhapsthecruelestaspectofthissocietyisthewayitbreaksdownanddistortsfamilyaffections.Aslave’sbabyisusuallysoldsoonafterbirth;Sarah’swould-behusband,ifhewantsher,mustbuyher;andManonherself,afterall,isonlythepropertyofherhusband.
1.WhichofthefollowingreflectsManon’sattitudetowardscoloredpeople?
[A]Sympathetic.[B]Suspicious.
[C]Concerned.[D]Disgusted.
2.Itcanbeinferredfromthetextthatthenoveliswritten_____.
[A]withamobilepointofview
[B]withalimitedthirdpersonsingular
[C]fromManon’sperspective
[D]fromSarah’seyeasaslave
3.AccordingtoManon,blackpeopleshould_____.
[A]emergeasfreemiddleclasscitizens
[B]behavesubmissivelytowardsthewhites
[C]haveself-respectinthemixedracemarriage
[D]learntooffermoreaffectiontotheirwives
4.Welearnthatasthestorydevelops_____.
[A]readerswillthinkdifferentlyofallthecharacters
[B]Manon’shusbandwillwinbackheradmiration
[C]theemotionalcrisiswillbeswiftlyresolved
[D]allthesuspicionwillbeprovedagainstSarah
5.Fromthetextwelearnthat_____.
[A]Manon’shusbandisanamelessbutbullyingperson
[B]Manonistherealheroinewhodeservesreaders’sympathy
[C]SarahisinfactsmarterthanhermasterManon
[D]Walterisaproofofthemixedraceprostitution
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