Lizzie Character Analysis in James

Lizzie is the daughter of Jim and Sadie. Like her parents, she is enslaved by Miss Watson. She and the other enslaved children learn how to speak “slave talk” from Jim, to pacify their white abusers. Young Sammy reminds Jim of Lizzie, prompting him to take her with him when he runs from Henderson. Reuniting with Lizzie and Sadie is Jim’s primary motivation.

Lizzie Quotes in James

The James quotes below are all either spoken by Lizzie or refer to Lizzie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance Theme Icon

“But what are you going to say when she asks you about it?” I asked.

Lizzie cleared her throat. “Miss Watson, dat some cone-bread lak I neva before et.”

“Try ‘dat be,’” I said. “That would be the correct incorrect grammar.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Lizzie (speaker), Sadie, Miss Watson

Page Number and Citation: 14

Explanation and Analysis:

Miss Watson’s cornbread tastes terrible, so Sadie tells Lizzie she does not have to eat it. Jim uses this as an opportunity to teach his daughter how to conduct herself in front of their white enslaver. Obviously, Lizzie cannot tell the truth and insult Miss Watson’s cooking, as this will be viewed as impertinence. Instead, Jim coaches her to conceal her honest feelings and to do so in the altered “slave dialect” that Black people adopt around white people. This method of speech is designed to give the impression that Lizzie is of lesser intelligence, thereby satisfying white expectations of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusa

That evening I sat down with Lizzie and six other children in our cabin and gave a language lesson. These were indispensable. Safe movement through the world depended on mastery of language, fluency.

[…]

“White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them,” I said. “The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior is us. Perhaps I should say ‘when they don’t feel superior.’”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Lizzie

Page Number and Citation: 21

Explanation and Analysis:

Sitting down for a routine language lesson, Lizzie asks her father why she and the other children have to learn what Jim refers to as “slave talk.” Jim describes these instructional lessons as “indispensable” because “[s]afe movement through the world” depends on their speech. Here, he is referring specifically to the way Black people speak in the presence of white people, who “expect [Black people] to sound a certain way.” In later paragraphs, Jim goes on to describe the basic rules of slave talk, which include avoiding eye contact, not speaking first, and avoiding addressing subjects directly when speaking with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Vo

“I am the angel of death, come to offer sweet justice in the night,” I said. “I am a sign. I am your future. I am James.” I pulled back the hammer on my pistol.

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Sadie, Lizzie

Page Number and Citation: 302

Explanation and Analysis:

Having set fire to the cornfield at the farm where Sadie and Lizzie are being held, James and the other enslaved men direct the women and children to run. James confronts an elderly white man, presumably one of the enslavers, who is demanding the enslaved people help him put out the fire, referring to them with racial slurs. In this passage, James declares his new, chosen identity as “the angel of death, come to offer sweet justice in the night.” His words are poetic, showing how fully he has abandoned the pretense of slave talk, which led him to deny Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atq

Lizzie Character Timeline in James

The timeline below shows where the character Lizzie appears in James. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Racism, Dehumanization, and Hypocrisy Theme Icon

...could do with a book. Jim returns home to find his wife, Sadie, and daughter, Lizzie waiting for him. The corn bread tastes terrible. Sadie tells Lizzie she doesn’t have to... (full context)

Innocence vs. Disillusionment Theme Icon

In the evening, Jim gathers Lizzie and some other children for a language lesson. They learn how to speak the way... (full context)

...river. Sadie protests, implying that he will be killed if discovered. Jim reassures her and Lizzie that he will come back for them, and sets out calmly into the woods, feeling... (full context)

Identity, Narrative, and Agency Theme Icon

...two of them discuss superstitions, but Jim is only performing interest, worried about Sadie and Lizzie. He tells Huck it will rain tomorrow—he can tell because of the hawks’ and the... (full context)

...tells him not to dwell on it. Looking at the young boy, Jim thinks of Lizzie and hates the idea of her being afraid. Reflecting on the irony of their situation,... (full context)

Jim falls into fever dreams from the snake bite. He sees Sadie and Lizzie, and Judge Thatcher’s library, where he has spent many hours secretly learning to read. Jim... (full context)

...after a few days, and he and Huck catch a rabbit. Worried about Sadie and Lizzie, Jim asks Huck to return to town and check on them, disguised as a girl... (full context)

...their heads. Huck suspects the woman saw through his disguise. He only saw Sadie and Lizzie from a distance, and he tells Jim they both looked sad. Jim promises himself that... (full context)

...the Ohio River telling him to get a job so he can buy Sadie and Lizzie’s freedom. (full context)

...beaten on his behalf. Jim knows he will not be able to purchase Sadie and Lizzie as a runaway, and he plans to move on from his hiding place. Departing at... (full context)

...that escape is another matter. He tries to keep in mind his goal of freeing Lizzie and Sadie. (full context)

...Jim allows himself to hope that he might earn enough money to buy Sadie and Lizzie. (full context)

...young girl when she lifts her shirt to show her scars, and he thinks of Lizzie. Unable to bear the thought of what Henderson is doing to Sammy, Jim offers to... (full context)

...at the mill, and Henderson has raped her since she was little. Again, Jim imagines Lizzie and is enraged. They arrange wood for the raft and wait. Norman returns with rope,... (full context)

...catfish locks onto Jim’s arm, and he is pulled underwater. He thinks of Norman, Sammy, Lizzie, and Sadie, before hallucinating John Locke again. The philosopher says Jim is in a never-ending... (full context)

Jim’s plan is to return Huck to town, find Sadie and Lizzie, and run to a free state. Huck wrestles with the feeling that he should be... (full context)

...where two other enslaved people—Katie and Cotton—are now living. Doris tells Jim that Sadie and Lizzie were sold together. Jim breaks down, overcome by grief, and begs Huck for help. Huck... (full context)

...Judge Thatcher about his adventures with the King and the Duke. Hopkins told Huck that Lizzie and Sadie were taken to Graham farm before the overseer suddenly disappeared. Jim does not... (full context)

...Judge Thatcher’s library, searching for a map and a bill of sale for Sadie and Lizzie. Judge Thatcher interrupts and is shocked to see Jim pointing a pistol at him. Jim... (full context)

...chained up like animals to promote animalistic breeding. James frees the men and asks after Lizzie and Sadie. He invites them to either run or help him retrieve his family from... (full context)

...the plantation house. In front of one shack, James sees Sadie and runs to her. Lizzie is with her, and the family reunite in disbelief. The enslaved people run past the... (full context)

...James speculates that some are killed or captured or return to their owners. He, Sadie, Lizzie, and a few of the men who helped them escape make their way to a... (full context)

Lizzie Character Analysis

Lizzie Quotes in James

Part 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

Part 1, Chapter 2 Quotes

Part 3, Chapter 11 Quotes

Lizzie Character Timeline in James