Final answer:
The mistress is portrayed as cruel through her actions of whipping slaves, enjoying their suffering, and justifying abuse with scripture, revealing a transformation from a kind to a brutal person due to the corrupting influence of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evidence that the warden or mistress is a cruel woman can be found in the descriptions of her actions and behavior. Initially depicted as a kind and tender-hearted woman, the mistress undergoes a transformation under the influence of slavery, which divests her of her compassion and humanity. Her progression towards cruelty is marked by a cessation to instruct the speaker and subsequent adoption of her husband's harsh precepts.
The cruelty of the warden or mistress is underscored through actions such as the whipping of a woman in front of her children, taking pleasure in barbarity, and a transition from a supportive to a fierce persona. Religious texts are misused to justify the physical abuse, indicating a disturbing rationale for her inhumanity.
The transformation of a person from caring and empathetic to someone capable of inflicting pain without remorse illustrates the power of certain institutions to corrupt moral values and promote cruelty as acceptable behavior.