Inez Character Analysis

Inez is the Black woman who is the first to welcome Amari, Polly, and Tidbit to Fort Mose. A former slave from Georgia Colony, she and her husband escaped to Fort Mose about a year ago—but while Inez has her freedom, her husband is serving in the Spanish military in order to earn his. She thus recognizes that Fort Mose isn’t as wonderful as some might think. A kind and generous woman, Inez feeds the travelers when they arrive in Fort Mose and takes it upon herself to show them around. She also is the one to tell Amari that she’s pregnant and assure Amari that this is an ordeal she can survive. Inez tells the story of her own daughter, who was the product of rape by her master. She encourages Amari to focus on telling her baby her stories and her history, and to protect her baby from the horrors of slavery in whatever way Amari can.