Cezanne Pinto Quotes

“In 1860, when I ran from the plantation in Virginia, I decided to be twelve years old. COuld’ve been anywhere from nine to fourteen, but as Frederick Douglass, that great man, said, you might as well ask a horse how old he is as a slave” (Stolz 3). This quote was said by Cezanne Pinto, the main character of the historical novel, Cezanne Pinto, about a young slave living on a plantation in Virginia with high hopes of freedom and an education. Originally born Deucy Clayburn, Cezanne spent his time as a slave working in the stables due to his gift with horses. The story is told from the point of view of an approximately ninety-year-old Cezanne, reflecting on his journeys with the cook, Tamar, to escape slavery. Although he faces many hardships of discrimination, he never let it get in the way of his dreams. In the end, the old man rests in peace with the satisfaction of living a
As previously mentioned, the Underground Railroad, a secretive trail that lead many slaves to freedom and away from plantations. During Cezanne’s journey to freedom, he traveled using the Underground Railroad. This was very helpful for slaves because it included stations where they could stay to rest on their exposition. Moreover, the beginning’s setting is on a plantation in Virginia. The state is classified as being in the south but more towards the middle. It is less brutal than the Deep South, making it easier but still with numerous struggles. “There, in the Deep South states, no one listened to a black person explaining how he was ‘free.’ They’d laugh at his claim, tear up the pass, and it was back into bondage for him, who had maybe risked death to escape it.” As shown, the Deep South and Virginia are both committers of the atrocity slavery, but to an extreme extent from the Deep South. Overall, historical places contribute to giving the readers universal