The People Could Fly

After Toby and the people flew away, the driver keep his mouth shut because he did not know what to do. The Master said is was "a trick of light" because he did not want to believe that it was true. The Driver and the Master did not want the other slaves to have hope and fly away too. They were very shocked when they saw this because they realized that they lost many slaves and they might even lose more.

After Toby and the people flew away, why did the Driver keep "his mouth shut" and the Master say it was "a trick of light?"

Owner

Owns the plantation, slaves (property not people), house

Toby

Sarah's father, sends people's souls away, slave

Narrator

The person telling the folktale

Sarah

Toby's daughter; a slave; has a baby; dies

Overseer

Watches the slaves do their job

The ability to fly symbolizes for the slaves on this plantation was that they were not free when they were on the plantation, and when they flew away the were free. Being able to fly is important to them because it showed that they had hope to become free. For example, while Toby was releasing his soul, he also released many other people's souls because they still had hope that they could get their wings even in the land of bondage.

What did the ability to fly symbolize for the slaves on this plantation, and why was it important to them?

They told their children about what happened and to never give up hope

What did the ones who could not fly do in the end?

Traditionally passed down by mouth, says a message

What elements make up a folk tale?

Toby goes over and sends their souls away with a spell

What happens when someone collapses?

When they were free in Africa

When did most of the people first have the ability to fly?

The "land of the free" was in Africa and "the land of bondage" was in the Americas

Where was the "land of the free" and the "land of bondage?"

Driver

Whips the slaves

Toby gave the people the opportunity to fly away

Who gave people the opportunity to "fly away?"

The people that couldn't fly were the African American slaves that had no hope for freedom.

Who were the people would could not fly?

The master, driver, and overseer did not speak of what happened on the plantation because they couldn't believe what they saw and they just wanted to forget what happened. They also did not want other slaves to have hope and fly away too.

Why did the Master, Driver, and Overseer not speak of what happened on the plantation?

They became slaves in America

Why did the people shed their wings and stop flying?

Simile

a comparison between two different things; using like or as

Dialect

a language used by a specific region or social group; different from other languages

Personification

giving an object human qualities

Metaphor

without using like or as; not literal; an exaggeration