Question

Cora spends her time in North Carolina reading in the attic. Her

reading material includes a Bible and almanacs, which "Cora

adored ... for containing the entire world" (183). How does the act

of reading, and of literacy, help Cora be free? What might the

significance of what she reads suggest about her growing

understanding of the world? Think, too, about how the Bible and

religion are used by Ethel and Ridgeway to justify slavery: "If God

had not meant for Africans to be enslaved, they wouldn't be in

chains" (195), and about Cora's observation: "Slavery is a sin

when whites were put to the yoke, but not the African" (182).

Answer 1

1. Being literate and able to read, allows Cora to have access to places, cultures and concepts that would never be presented to her in any other way. This allows her to be in control of her own information and content that she consumes or conveys a feeling of freedom and control of her own existence.

2. As stated in the answer above, reading brings information about everything she is curious about and everything she believes it is necessary to know. So reading can show her realities that she doesn't know from different places in the world, in addition to bringing information about facts and observable phenomena which increases her worldview.

3 and 4. Ethel and Ridgeway use factors such as the Bible and religion to justify slavery when they use concepts that claim that everything that happens in this world is done with God's permission and will. So if God allows Africans to be enslaved it is because that is his will and no one should be against God, but everyone must obey. However, the slavery of white men is a sin, for them, because white men serve God and God did not allow them to be enslaved and exploited, but to be superior to all others.