Copper Sun

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2006

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Chapters 14-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part Two: Polly

Chapter 14 Summary: The Slave Sale

The point of view of this section of the book shifts to that of Polly, an indentured girl who must work for Mr. Percival Derby for fourteen years to “pay off the debts of her parents” (76). It is immediately revealed that “Polly really didn’t like negroes…they talked funny, they smelled bad, and they were ugly…Besides, Negroes made it difficult for regular folks like herself to get work. Who could compete with somebody who worked for free?” (76) While watching the slave auction, she sneers at the behaviour of the black women for “living here in the colonies had to be better than living like a savage in the jungle” (76). Polly believes that “they ought to be grateful” (76).

A “repulsive” large man approaches Amari and offers ten pounds for her. There is a slight bidding war for Amari, and the other man wants her for his son as a present for his sixteenth birthday. Amari is sold to Mr. Percival Derby for 60 pounds. The auctioneer offers her “mother” (meaning Afi), but Mr. Derby doesn’t want her, his reasons being that “Family ties confuse the poor creatures. They’ll forget each other as soon as the sun sets” (78). Polly hopes this new girl will be sent to the fields “where she belongs” (78). Polly remembers when she was a child playing with Negro children, her father taught her “don’t get your hands dirty by dealing’ with darkies” (78).

Chapter 15 Summary: Polly and Clay

Mr. Derby is preparing to return to Derbyshire farms with his new acquisitions. He has another black man as a slave who is carrying packages for them, and Derby whips him in order to get him to move faster. The slave doesn’t complain, and Polly wonders if the black men “feel pain the way others” do (81).

Polly comments to Clay Derby (Percival’s son) on how well dressed the Negro man is and asks why he beats him (if he’s dressed so well). He explains that “They expect to be disciplined…It shows them that [he cares] enough to make sure they do their tasks correctly” (81).

On the journey to Derbyshire farms, “Polly [listens] in amazement” for she has “never met anyone with attitudes like the Derby men seemed to have” (86). Derby tells his son that “black women are different” than white women in that they “like it when you pick them out for special favours at night…And it reminds them in a very special way who is the master and who is the slave” (86). He continues: “White women, like my Isabelle and your mother before her, are to be respected and treated like fine china” (87).

When they arrive at Derbyshire farms, Polly is told that the new slave is her responsibility for the time being. Her “job is to teach her a little of the King’s English, to teach her how civilized people live and act, and most importantly, to teach her absolute obedience” (90).

Chapter 16 Summary: Teenie and Tidbit

In the shack that Polly and Amari are to share, Polly begins teaching Amari words and, to her surprise, Amari catches on quickly. When Polly tries to tell her that her new name is Myna, Amari defiantly shakes her head and says her name is Amari.

Teenie arrives, wanting to meet the new girls, and they are introduced to her son, Tidbit. She tells the girls that if “[they] want to know the dirt goin’ on roun’ here, just ask old Teenie” (96). They are led to Teenie’s little house and are fed, and Polly makes a mental note that table manners will be something she will need to teach Amari. Teenie tells them she is going to give them “a couple days to learn [their] way around here” before she puts them to work (98). They are to come watch her work (Teenie is the plantation’s cook) because she believes that will be the best way for them to learn. Teenie instructs Polly to teach Amari English as soon as possible.

Polly tells Teenie the story of her family, how her father liked to drink too much and that’s what got him in quite a lot of trouble. In order to assuage any of their preconceived notions of white people, Polly explains that “‘Not all white people are rich landowners” (100).

When they arrive back at their little cabin, Amari quickly chooses the mat on the floor and Polly takes the bed. Tidbit comes in a little later to tell Amari that “Master Clay is asking for [her]” (103). Amari groans, “No! No! No!”, understanding what it is that is being asked of her. Finally, she steadies herself and steps out.

Chapters 14-16 Analysis

This section of the novel illustrates the “true” attitudes of the whites that Amari will be working for. This begins with Polly’s own ignorance and prejudice in her internal monologue, and these attitudes are then echoed by the auctioneer of the slave auction. The accepted belief is that Negroes are not “human,” and are more often thought of as animals that can be trained. This is illustrated in the auctioneer’s sales pitch, which says that Amari is “Bright enough to be taught simple commands, like ‘Come here’ and ‘Lie Down’!’ (77) Polly wonders “if Negroes from Africa had feelings and intelligent thoughts or if that gibberish they spoke was more like the screaming of monkeys or the barking of dogs” (78).

However, almost immediately, there is a “crack” presented in Polly’s prejudice, and we can see that she may not be as discriminatory as the others. It is important to note that while “the crowd laughed at [the auctioneer’s words],…Polly didn’t” (77). Polly’s values are further challenged when she listens to the despicable things that the Derbys say on their trip to the farm. Furthermore, her more open-minded nature is demonstrated when she “[glances] at the African girl, who surely had no idea what her future held. She found herself feeling sorry for this new slave who huddled in the wagon, glistening with sweat” (86). She even suggests to the Derbys that the slave girl may have her own name when they talk about re-naming their new acquisition. Polly’s acknowledgement of Amari having her own name is synonymous with acknowledging that Amari shares the same dignity.

The Derbys are not only presented as racist, but also as incredibly sexist. Clay says: “Women don’t need to be reading” and so Polly needs to “keep that ability to [herself]” (82). Clay also gives Polly some last minute advice about dealing with his father: “Whenever you speak to him, be sure to show proper respect. He hates women who don’t know their place” (82).

Despite her distasteful feelings about the Derbys, Polly makes a vow that she will use this time as an opportunity to “make something of [herself]…[she intends] to make [herself] necessary to the Derby family, while learning how the upper class lives” (88). Because the Derbys are rich, Polly will view them as models for what to aspire to. However, because she is revealed to be more open-minded than the Derbys, this is a misdirected aspiration. Just because the Derbys are wealthy does not mean that they are the kind of people that one should aspire to emulate, and, despite Polly’s poverty, she may be a more “worthy” human being because of her developing empathic perspective.

It is also important to pay attention to Polly’s background. Her troubled past and poverty and the fact that she is essentially a white “slave” to the Derbys create an obvious parallel to Amari’s character. As such, Draper sets Polly up as Amari’s foil, and this is one of the reasons Polly develops empathy for and then a friendship with Amari. Polly eventually sees Amari as someone just like herself despite their different skin colors.