How Does Hill Treat Domestic Animals?

Firstly, through significant symbols, Hill criticizes the discriminatory attitudes directed at Africans to bring attention to the mistreatment and promote appropriate viewpoints when it comes to people of colour. To begin, a prominent use of symbolism present in the novel is domestic dogs, which represent a similar and inhumane comparison to slaves, who are often treated worse than animals. Slaves belong to a master and "the best approach was to follow the buckra's conversation like a well-trained dog" (Hill 148). The comparison between a dog and a slave is made to exhibit how Africans are not treated as if they were equal to humans, but rather on the same level as domestic house pets. Moreover, slaves are treated as objects with the sole purpose of

As soon as Africans became captives, they are treated not a person, but rather as disobedient animals who are forced to complete orders against their own will and will be punished if insubordinate. Likewise, pets are also purchased or adopted and usually taught to follow through with the commands of their owner and are also not seen as equals to humans as well since their lives are controlled by their owner. Slave masters often see themselves as superior, hence the displayal of racism towards people of colour while viewing them as lower class citizens of society. In addition, another instance of symbolism insolves the actual book of negroes in the novel as it represents a step towards freedom for slaves. The book of negroes is a historical document containing information of Africans departing with the loyalists. The connection between the two displays the absence of independence from the lives of slaves and how the wealthy hold all the power in