Question

As to my boat, it was a very good one; and that [the captain] saw, and told me he would buy it of me for the ship's use, and asked me what I would have for it? . . . He offered me also sixty pieces of eight more for my boy Xury, which I was loth to take. . .

Given the context of the rest of the story, what impact does the phrase "my boy" have on the meaning of this passage?
A. It emphasizes the point that Xury is Crusoe's property and Crusoe can do with him as he pleases.
B. It makes the reader aware of how young Xury is and how far he is from home.
C. It shows that the captain respects Crusoe because he's asking his permission to buy Xury.
D. It highlights the fact that Crusoe has grown fond of Xury after all they've been through together.

Answer 1

A. it emphasizes the point that Xury is Crusoe's property and Crusoe can do with him as he pleases.

Answer 2

A. It emphasizes the point that Xury is Crusoe's property and Crusoe can do with him as he pleases.

He uses the pronoun my to show ownership. During this time slaves were often called "boy". It was one more way they were seen as dependent upon their owners because they were not seen as people who could have the adult responsibilities to make them go from boy to man. While it is clear that Crusoe does value Xury, the phrase "my boy" is not highlighting a fondness that Crusoe has for him.