“Why did God set it up like this?” Rachel asked. “With them as masters and us as slaves?” “There is no God, child. There’s religion but there’s no God of theirs. Their religion tells that we will get our reward in the end. However, it apparently doesn’t say anything about their punishment. But when we’re around them, we believe in God. Oh, Lawdy Lawd, we’s be believin’. Religion is just a controlling tool they employ and adhere to when convenient.” “There must be something,” Virgil said. “I’m sorry, Virgil. You might be right. There might be some higher power, children, but it’s not their white God. However, the more you talk about God and Jesus and heaven and hell, the better they feel.” The children said together, “And the better they feel, the safer we are.” GodReligionRaceSafetySlaveryAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsWhites Book:James Source: James
“I had never seen a white man filled with such fear. The remarkable truth, however, was that it was not the pistol, but my language, the fact that I didn’t conform to his expectations, that I could read, that had so disturbed and frightened him.” LanguageFearRaceExpectationsAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsWhitesSlaves Book:James Source: James
“I was as much scared as angry, but where does a slave put anger? We could be angry with one another; we were human. But the real source of our rage had to go without address, swallowed, repressed.” FearRaceAngerSlaveryRageAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsRepressionSlaves Book:James Source: James
“White folks watch us work and forget how long we're left alone in our heads. Working and waiting." I smiled. "If only they knew the danger in that.” ThinkingWaitingRaceAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsWorkingWhitesSlaves Book:James Source: James
“I cain't believe Miss Watson gone sell you. I mean, she likes you." "I reckon she likes money mo'. Mos' peoples likes money mo' 'n anythin' else. White folks, anyways.” MoneyRaceSlaveryAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsWhitesSlaves Book:James Source: James
“Papa, why do we have to learn this?” “White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them,” I said. “The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior is us. Perhaps I should say ‘when they don’t feel superior.” RaceInequalityAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsWhites Book:James Source: James
“He was enjoying himself and that was all right with me. It always made life easier when white folks could laugh at a poor slave now and again. "I had you goin'," Huck said. I acted like he'd hurt my feelings. White people love feeling guilty.” RaceLaughterPrejudiceSlaveryAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsMockeryWhitesSlaves Book:James Source: James
“It’s a horrible world. White people try to tell us that everything will be just fine when we go to heaven. My question is, Will they be there? If so, I might make other arrangements.” ReligionHeavenRaceAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsWhites Book:James Source: James
“We started to laugh and then we spotted a white man up the road. There was nothing that irritated white men more than a couple of slaves laughing. I suspected they were afraid we were laughing at them or else they simply hated the idea of us having a good time.” HumorRaceLaughingAfrican AmericansBlacksRace RelationsMockeryWhitesSlavesMaking Fun Of Book:James Source: James