Copper Sun: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Polly and the slave girl enter the shack. It’s sparsely furnished with a table, a chair, a bed, and a mat. The slave girl sinks to the ground and begins to whisper, so Polly scolds her for using “jungle talk.” Polly has never been so close to a slave; she studies the girl closely. Suddenly, Polly realizes that she hasn’t eaten in hours and grabs her stomach. The slave girl does the same. Polly feels like she’ll never be able to civilize the slave girl and pounds on the mattress. With a sigh, she rubs her stomach and says, “Hungry.” The girl surprises Polly when she repeats the word. Polly says that this is Derbyshire Farms, a rice plantation. She asks the girl to repeat “plantation,” and then tells the girl that she’s a slave. Disturbingly, the girl seems to know exactly what the word means.

Polly introduces herself and tells the slave girl that she’s Myna. The girl shakes her head and says she’s Amari. They argue for a moment, but Polly sighs and calls the girl Amari. Just then, the door bursts open, and a short, skinny Black woman bursts in. Despite her diminutive size, she seems like a giant. A little boy clings to her skirts. Polly introduces herself, and Amari as Myna, and the woman introduces herself as Teenie and her son as Tidbit. Polly calls her Miss Teenie, but Teenie warns her that they’ll get in trouble for that and leads the girls to the kitchen for food. When Amari says, “hungry,” Teenie is thrilled—but she warns Amari to play dumb for as long as she can.

Teenie puts steaming bowls in front of the girls. When Amari begins to eat with her hands, Polly realizes that she’ll have to teach table manners. Tidbit sits with a dog, Hushpuppy, under the table as Polly and Teenie discuss the dish. Polly shares that her mother wasn’t much of a cook, so she’s never had food like this before. After serving pie, Teenie says that Polly and Amari have a few days to learn their way around. It’ll be Polly’s job to teach Amari as many words as possible—Mr. Derby will want her to get up to speed soon. Clay, she spits, has a “thumpin’ gizzard for a heart.” Polly calls Teenie ma’am as she agrees with this—and though Teenie scolds her, she says that Polly’s mother raised her right. Polly says that both her parents are dead.

Teenie asks how they died and seems to truly want to know. Polly tells her family’s story: her father was born in England but eventually ran out of money. He came to the colonies as an indentured servant to get out of jail. He entered the service of Jeremy Carton, married Polly’s mother, and had Polly. He worked like a slave but couldn’t pay off his debts. Polly’s mother was an orphan who worked as a maid and a beggar. At this, Teenie suggests that there must not have been slaves, but Polly coldly says that most white people she knows are very poor. Softly, Teenie says that they still aren’t slaves. Polly says that her father kept getting in trouble and landing in jail. Finally, a few months ago, her parents both died of smallpox. Mr. Carton sold Polly’s indenture to Mr. Derby for some unknown reason.

Sounding emotional, Teenie suggests that Polly has hope; she can pay back her indenture and eventually, fit in. Polly says that she has to pay back 14 years and will be old—almost 30—by the time she’s free. Teenie quietly says that she’s about 30. Amari moves to Teenie and touches her arm, and a look of understanding passes between them. Amari says something in her own language, but Teenie leaps away and sends the girls to get some sleep. Amari curls up on the mat on the floor. A few hours later, Tidbit knocks on the door—he’s been sent to fetch Amari for Clay. Amari cries and begs not to go. Polly touches her arm but doesn’t know how to help.