Student Question
How does Isabel utilize her reading skills in Chains?
Quick answer:
Isabel uses her rare literacy skills as a slave to read for Miss Mary and secretly read Robinson Crusoe at night after completing her duties. Her reading ability becomes crucial at the end of the novel when she uses it to forge her freedom papers, allowing her to rescue Curzon and escape from the Lockton household. This demonstrates how Isabel's literacy empowers her to change her circumstances.
Readers are told very early on in the story that Isabel has a rare skill for a slave: she is literate. Readers are told that Miss Mary had Isabel read things out loud to her due to Miss Mary's eyesight being bad. Mr. Robert is surprised to hear that, and he even threatens to beat her for lying about being able to read. Isabel is actually quite good at reading, as evidenced by the fact that she reads Robinson Crusoe to herself at night after finishing all of her duties for the Locktons. A great use of her reading skills comes at the end of the novel when Isabel uses her reading and writing ability to fake her freedom papers in order to rescue Curzon and escape from the Lockton household.
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