Interesting Passage

The passage that I thought was interesting was on page 98. Linda stated, “It was a grand opportunity for the low whites, who had no negroes of their own to scourage. They exulted in such a chance to exercise a little brief authority, and show their subserviency to the slaveholders…” The whole idea of the insurrection was surprising to me. It was strange how low whites would use the insurrection as a time to show brief authority over the slaves because they had no slaves of their own. The insurrection shows ignorance in a way because the lower class of white men would use authority over the slaves. In reality, some of the slaves were more educated than the white men who were ransacking their homes. For example, on page 99, one of the white men questioned Linda by asking, “What d’ye foller us fur? D’ye s’pose white folks is come to steal?” Linda replied, “You have come to search; but you have searched that box, and I will take it, if you please.” There is a huge difference between the speech of the white male, who is supposed to be an authority figure, and Linda, a slave who is not supposed to be very well educated. Linda makes the white male sound ignorant.