Genre
Children's novels
Setting and Context
The story takes place in the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia, in the early 1800s.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrative unfolds through various perspectives.
Tone and Mood
Tone: Anxious, Optimistic
Mood: Depressing, Empowered
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Homer; Antagonist: Mr. Crumb
Major Conflict
Homer plans to escape the plantation with his sister and mother, but things go wrong when his mother gets caught during the escape attempt.
Climax
Homer's mother, Rose, endures torture from the owner's men, but Homer and Ada encounter Suleman, a free enslaved man who assists slaves in finding a hidden community named Freewater.
Foreshadowing
The attempt to flee the plantation and Rose's return to retrieve Homer's friend foreshadows Rose's capture by the owner.
Understatement
Homer initially believes he can save his loved ones from slavery by making an escape plan. Unfortunately, his mother gets captured by the guards, and Homer drowns in guilt because of her sacrifice.
Allusions
This story alludes to the enslaved slaves who struggled to win their freedom.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
Upon arriving in Freewater, Homer and Ada encounter free children. In the beginning, they thought Freewater was safe. However, Suleman reveals their struggle to protect the community from the plantation owner.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The Freewater community refers to freedom in the story.
Personification
The novel personifies the swamp as an ugly monster.
