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Chapter 11
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Copper Sun, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Slavery, Dehumanization, and Resistance
Horror vs. Beauty
Friendship
Memory and Storytelling
Gender, Race, and Power
Summary
Analysis
The ship’s cannon fires, frightening the slave women. The sailors seem unconcerned. Amari peeks over the edge of the ship and sees a surprisingly beautiful landscape before her. She marvels to Afi that it’s lovely, and Afi counsels Amari to remember the beauty “when the ugliness overtakes [her].” It will keep Amari alive. Amari says that she couldn’t have survived without Afi, and Afi echoes the sentiment. A small boat brings a white man to the ship. He’s clean, and he acts as though the ship reeks. Amari figures the man is an official of some sort, and she realizes that she and the other captives are cargo. The new man and the captain exchange money, and then the captain points to the women on deck.
Amari’s ability to notice that the colonies are beautiful makes it clear that she’s still optimistic, even if she’s beaten down—and hopefully, she’ll be able to maintain this outlook going forward. Afi’s warning suggests that if Amari ever loses this ability to notice the beauty in the world, that’s when she’ll know that her life is effectively over. As the women talk to each other, they make it clear that friendship can be life-saving, a lesson that Amari should take with her as she continues her journey.
Themes
The official examines Afi first, checking her mouth and her genitals. He smacks Afi’s buttocks and says, “Good breeder,” but Amari doesn’t know what this means. He inspects Amari next. Amari fights her desire to pull away from him. After all the women and all the men have been inspected, the official says that the ship is approved to land. He welcomes them to Sullivan’s Island.
It’s telling that the price, so to speak, of landing at Sullivan’s Island is being molested—to move from one version of hell to another, the women must consistently put up with sexual assault and harassment. That this happens in the colonies impresses upon Amari that the harassment won’t stop just because she’s not on the ship anymore.
Themes
