Saphhira’s Illnesses

Sapphira’s illnesses symbolize her moral degradation. Sapphira is a lifelong proponent of slavery, and she owns several slaves herself. She also suffers chronic illnesses, such as dropsy, that ultimately kill her. These illnesses symbolically represent her immoral pro-slavery stance, which in turn feeds her self-destructive instincts towards paranoia and cruelty.

Sapphira’s Suspicion

Sapphira’s suspicion of Nancy symbolizes the distrust and disunity caused by immoral systems of power. Because of the inherently immoral relationship between Sapphira and the slaves, it is impossible for Sapphira to have a truly trusting, functional relationship with them. This distrust contributes to her false suspicion that Nancy and Henry have developed a secret sexual relationship.

Henry’s Doubt

Henry’s doubts about slavery symbolize the persistence of objective morality. Throughout the main narrative, Henry’s doubts about slavery steadily grow. He eventually finds Nancy’s escape and...