When describing one of his many conversations with the sympathetic white man Bass (who is preparing to send letters to secure Solomon’s freedom), Solomon uses a hyperbole to communicate his gratitude:
I spoke of my wife and children, mentioning their names and ages, and dwelling upon the unspeakable happiness it would be to clasp them to my heart once more before I died. I caught him by the hand, and with tears and passionate entreaties implored him to befriend me—to restore me to my kindred and to liberty—promising I would weary Heaven the remainder of my life with prayers that it would bless and prosper him.
Solomon’s declaration that he will “weary Heaven the remainder of my life” is clearly an exaggeration, yet it effectively highlights his desperation to be free and to see his family again. At several points throughout the memoir, Solomon makes it clear to readers that one of the most harmful aspects of slavery is how it takes people away from their families (as in his case as well as Eliza’s).
Solomon likely included extreme language here in the hopes that white readers would feel inspired to act as Bass does and take risks in order to help enslaved people like himself find their way back to their families and back toward a life of freedom.
