Copper Sun: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis

Polly believes that crying shows weakness and is a waste of time—tears didn’t keep her father out of prison or save her parents when they died of smallpox. Mr. Derby’s son Clay arrives, whipping a well-dressed slave who’s struggling with heavy supplies. The slave, Noah, doesn’t try to stop the abuse. Polly marvels that the slaves never seem bothered by all they suffer; she wonders if they just don’t feel pain. Polly asks Clay if the Derbys dress all their slaves so finely. Clay furiously reprimands Polly for speaking, but Polly pursues her questioning. Clay finally laughs and says that his father likes to dress his driver nicely when they come to town. Polly asks why he hits Noah, then—she doesn’t like Black people, but she doesn’t think they should be beaten all the time. Clay explains that the slaves expect it, and it’s how he shows he cares for them.

Clay warns Polly to keep her mouth shut going forward. Polly insists she’s not afraid, but she feels nervous. Clay asks if she can read, and Polly nods, unsure if this is the right answer. He insists that women don’t need to read and warns her that if she teaches a slave to read, Mr. Derby will whip her. Polly is shocked; she thought that whippings were reserved for slaves. She watches Noah gently move the trembling slave girl onto a blanket as Mr. Derby approaches. Mr. Derby forces Polly to give her thoughts on the slave auction, scolds the slave girl for crying, and snaps at Noah to finish loading. When Noah is done, Mr. Derby orders Polly into the back of the wagon and introduces her to his “new little savage,” whom he suspects is the same age. He laughs, but Polly sees nothing funny.

The group begins its journey. Polly eyes the slave girl and tries to stay as far away as possible. Polly knows she’s pretty and she figures the slave girl is looking at her with admiration. The slave girl is ugly and even smells bad. Polly watches Clay spitting off the wagon until, several hours in, Mr. Derby asks Clay what he’s going to name his gift. Polly quietly suggests the girl already has a name, but Mr. Derby insists she’s wrong. Clay declares he’s going to name her Myna, because she belongs to him. Polly thinks Clay sounds extremely self-centered. Indulgently, Mr. Derby says he’s giving Clay the same gift his own father gave him when he turned 16—and someday, Clay will do the same for his son. Polly finds that she feels bad for the slave girl.

Mr. Derby also tells Clay that Black women are different, and choosing them for “special favors at night” reminds them who’s the master and who’s the slave. A moment later, the wagon lurches violently. Noah calmly apologizes and says that a mosquito must’ve bitten the horse, but Polly is sure that Noah knows exactly what’s going on with the horse. She also decides she doesn’t like Clay. The men go on to discuss Mr. Derby’s new wife and white women in general, whom Mr. Derby says should be treated delicately. Clay hates his new stepmother. He asks why his father purchased Polly’s indenture, but Mr. Derby is just thrilled that Polly’s indenture is so long. Clay laughs, calls Polly “Polly-girl,” and says that she’ll like it at Derbyshire Farms. Polly’s father used to call her Polly-girl, and she hates that Clay used this nickname.

Polly focuses on the landscape and thinks of her past. After her parents died, she lived in the attic of a dirt farmer named Jeremy Carton. No one there ever spoke kindly to her. Polly vows to learn about how the upper-class lives while serving the Derbys so she can become a lady. When she wakes up from a nap, Polly catches sight of a white brick manor house ahead. It looks perfect and is surrounded by lush grass, fields, and slaves. Polly wishes she could own such a gorgeous property as several slaves rush out with refreshments. Mr. Derby ignores them and sends Noah to the right, down to a wooden shack. He orders the girls out of the wagon and tells Polly that she and the slave girl will live here. Polly must “break in [the] new African.”

Polly is aghast and humiliated that she won’t be working in the house. She tries to push back, but Mr. Derby sharply tells Polly that this is her job: she must teach the slave girl English and obedience, and she must get the girl to Clay whenever Clay asks for her. Mr. Derby says that the girls will assist Teenie and  be busy all the time, and they cannot question orders. He threatens to take Polly back to Jeremy Carton if she disobeys, and then he heads back to the house. Polly and the slave girl eye each other suspiciously.