Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Copper Sun, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Slavery, Dehumanization, and Resistance
Horror vs. Beauty
Friendship
Memory and Storytelling
Gender, Race, and Power
Summary
Analysis
Amari notices that the leaves on the trees are turning gold and rusty. Tidbit sobs in her arms as she wonders if she’s going to be sold like a cow for the rest of her life. She remembers how convinced Afi was of Amari’s spirit and her future, but Amari feels weak. After an hour, Dr. Hoskins pulls over and says he’s ashamed to be human after witnessing murder, violence, cruelty, and hatred. He feels just as responsible as Mr. Derby, since he stayed silent. He doesn’t know how to stop slavery, but he can help Amari, Polly, and Tidbit. Dr. Hoskins points to a bundle of food and money and then to the Ashley River, and he tells Polly to head north. Tomorrow he’ll report the “escape’ to Mr. Derby, but they’ll have a day to get ahead.
For Amari, knowing that she has no agency over her life is enough to crush her spirit and make it seem as though even trying to resist is futile. However, Dr. Hoskins’s choice to help Amari, Polly, and Tidbit escape gives her hope and reminds her that even in what seems like utter darkness and cruelty, she’ll always be able to find someone willing to help or something beautiful to look out. And Dr. Hoskins makes it clear that he still has to be able to function in white society, so he has to resist slavery in these smaller, isolated ways.
Themes
Amari doesn’t understand what Dr. Hoskins says and asks how they’re escaping. Dr. Hoskins reiterates that he’s setting them free, but they still have to hope that they can actually make it. He warns Polly that this could still destroy their lives—the dogs will be after them soon, and they can’t hide from the dogs. When Amari asks, Dr. Hoskins says that he’s going to tell Mr. Derby they were attacked and fake an injury. Dr. Hoskins assures her that he’ll tell Teenie that Tidbit wasn’t sold. He pulls out a musket and warns the girls to use it in self-defense, not for hunting. Polly says her father taught her how to shoot, but she’s not a good shot. Dr. Hoskins hands her the gunpowder and says there’s only enough for one shot. The girls and Tidbit jump down and dart into the woods.
Dr. Hoskins is well aware of the fact that getting off a plantation and into the woods is only the first step. The runaways still have a long, frightening, and difficult journey ahead of them as they run for freedom. However, his small action of letting them go and giving them time does have the potential to save them and begin to atone for the horrors he didn’t try to stop last night. Promising to share this with Teenie at some point also means that he’ll be able to renew Teenie’s sense that it’s worth resisting and staying alive.
Themes
