The moon

The moon is symbolic of the nosiness and interference – particularly from slaveowners – that threatens Samuel and Isaiah’s peace and privacy in the barn. The “pale light” of the moon “shot down on them,” evoking pale skin and the threat of violence, and Isaiah is unable to “block out the light with his palm” (9). This early image of moonlight penetrating through to their personal space anticipates later scenes in which Ruth and Timothy (but also Amos) come prying. The moon’s unreliability further associates it with toubab: Samuel and Isaiah keep track of time passing by counting the seasons rather than the months, because moons “could be temperamental” (10).

The water

The water that Samuel brings to Isaiah when they are children is symbolic of hope and pure, overflowing happiness. When Samuel offers more of the “warm, sweet water,” Isaiah is “no longer thirsty but nodded...