Student Question
Why is the novel's title appropriate for its story, and what is the significance of the River Jordan mentioned throughout?
Quick answer:
The novel's title is apt as it symbolizes the journey toward freedom, akin to the biblical crossing of the River Jordan, which represented the Hebrew slaves' entry into the Promised Land. The River Jordan metaphor highlights Isabel's struggles with her enslavement, her decision to aid the revolution, and her quest to keep her family together while seeking the freedom promised to her and Ruth by Miss Finch.
In the Christian imagery and beliefs of the slaves, crossing the River Jordan meant crossing into freedom. In the Bible, when the Hebrew slaves escaped from slavery in Egypt, the Jordan River crossing was their entry into the Promised Land, the place to which God led them so they could live in freedom and peace.
The references to the River Jordan reflect Isabel's struggles: first, with coming to understand her position as a slave owned by supporters of the King; next, with determining how she should respond to Curzon's invitation to become involved in helping those supporting the revolution against the British; always, with how she can manage to keep herself and Ruth together and find a way to 'cross the Jordan River' to the freedom they had been promised long ago, by Miss Finch.
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