Study Questions

1. Why does Legree now work his slaves every day?

2. What is Tom too exhausted to do in his leisure time?

3. What does Legree suggest that Tom do with his Bible?

4. What arouses Tom from his spiritual lethargy?

5. When Tom becomes more cheerful, what explanation does Sambo suggest to Legree for this change?

6. What legend haunts the garret in Legree’s house?

7. What does Cassy put into the knothole in the garret?

8. What does Legree notice about the book that Cassy has been reading?

9. Regarding the capture of Cassy and Emmeline, what orders does Legree give to Sambo and Quimbo?

10. Why does Emmeline protest when Cassy steals some money from Legree’s desk?

Answers

1. He works the slaves every day because the cotton crop needs harvesting in time to sell on the market.

2. He is too exhausted to read his Bible.

3. Legree suggests that Tom should throw it into the fire.

4. Tom’s vision of Christ arouses the slave from his spiritual lethargy.

5. Sambo suggests to Legree that Tom is probably thinking of running away.

6. The legend concerns a slave woman who had incurred Legree’s wrath several years ago. He locked her in the garret for weeks, and then the dead woman’s body was brought down for burial. Later sounds of violence and despairing groans echoed up in the garret.

7. She puts an empty bottle in the knothole so that when the wind blows, it makes a wailing sound.

8. Legree notices that the book is about murders and ghosts.

9. Legree orders that Cassy may be killed, but not Emmeline.

10. Emmeline protests the stealing of Legree’s money because she thinks that it is immoral. Cassy mockingly responds that Legree himself has stolen away slaves’ lives.