Copper Sun: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Amari’s next few months are miserable as she works to assimilate. She and Polly chop wood for Teenie and tend to the fire. Polly seems to still resent that she’s not at the big house, though she relaxes some. She refuses to touch any of the slaves, and she and Amari merely tolerate each other. Tidbit shows the girls how to perform tasks. Amari learns to cook food she’s never seen before, like venison. She learns that the smokehouse is the only building on the plantation that’s locked all the time. When fish arrive, Amari shows Teenie how to make fish stew like Mother made. One day, when yams come in, Amari babbles excitedly and is only able to get out “my mama” in English. Teenie kindly says that her mother came from Africa too, and that as long as Amari remembers Africa and her mother, they’ll never disappear.

Tidbit laughs constantly and makes the days easier. He’s a trickster, and he teaches Amari English. Amari is glad that Polly talks to her all the time—it makes learning easier. However, though Amari improves and can understand more, she knows she sounds stupid since she still speaks so poorly. She learns the value of staying silent and acting ignorant, and Teenie silently praises these efforts.

At least twice a week, Clay summons Amari to his bedroom. Amari thinks of her childhood while she’s with him, but it’s hard to do this on nights when he wants to talk. One night, he scornfully vents about Mrs. Derby and how Mr. Derby is excited for her pregnancy. He then asks if Amari likes him. Amari pretends she doesn’t understand, but finally she says she does. She says she got the blanket he sent for her, though she secretly gave it to Sarah Jane, a slave who recently had a baby. Warmly, Clay sends Amari back to her hut and says he’ll “let” her come back tomorrow. Amari shivers uncontrollably.