Canada (Symbol)
In "The Passing of Grandison," Canada is a symbol of freedom. Before Dick and Grandison leave for their trip north, Colonel Owens describes Canada to Grandison as "a dreary country, where the woods are full of wildcats and wolves and bears, where the snow lies up to the eaves of the houses for six months of the year, and the cold is so severe that it freezes your breath and curdles your blood." As a plantation master whose livelihood is threatened by an increasing number of slaves escaping to Canada, Owens's description of the country is designed to strike fear into Grandison's heart. While Grandison does appear concerned to be in Canada with Dick, at the end of the story, Grandison returns with his family. The final image of the fugitive slaves boating toward freedom in Canada emphasizes the country's symbolic importance.
Quaker Blood (Symbol)
The "Quaker blood" in Charity's heritage is a symbol for abolitionist sentiment. Following the sentencing of an Ohio man who tried to bring a slave to freedom, Dick and Charity agree that their sympathies lie with the convicted man, not the slaveholders who lobbied the judge. Charity says, "When I hear of a [slaveowner's] cruel deed it makes the Quaker blood that came from my grandmother assert itself." The symbolism would have been clear to Dick, as the Quakers (also known as The Society of Friends) were the first religious organization in the United States to publicly condemn slavery and forbid their members from owning slaves.
Abduction (Motif)
When Colonel Owens first discusses Grandison accompanying Dick on a trip North, the colonel warns Grandison against the abolitionists who may try to abduct him and force him into living as a free man. Grandison expresses worry over the possibility, and the colonel encourages him to stay close to Dick for protection. Up North, Dick makes sure to distance himself from Grandison so that the latter might be whisked away; Dick even writes an anonymous letter to abolitionists and encourages them to take action. Grandison, however, remains where he is. The motif of abduction reaches its logical conclusion when Dick, having run out of ideas, pays a man to abduct Grandison for him. Upon his return to the plantation, Grandison uses the tale of his kidnapping to engender sympathy in Owens while secretly preparing for his family to escape. Grandison's narrative of deprivation in the Canadian wilderness works as intended, in part because it confirms the colonel's belief that his most loyal slave would never submit to abduction.
