The Longest Memory
by Fred D’Aguiar
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Mr. Whitechapel’s acquaintances, a group of unnamed men, mock his beliefs in treating slaves humanely. Instead, they advocate stern discipline on the plantation, seem to take pleasure in violent punishments, and feel strong hatred toward abolitionists, who want to eradicate slavery. Although their point of view is unapologetically racist and brutal, these men successfully highlight the hypocrisy of Mr. Whitechapel’s behavior, as he claims that Christian compassion is compatible with slavery.

Plantation Owners Quotes in The Longest Memory

The The Longest Memory quotes below are all either spoken by Plantation Owners or refer to Plantation Owners. 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:
Freedom vs. Obedience Theme Icon
).

Chapter 2: Mr. Whitechapel Quotes

“This inhuman display parading as discipline is a regular occurrence on these so-called ‘tightly run’ operations. I tell you all the evidence supports my belief that as a long-term measure it is a disaster. Contrary to their arguments, such rough handling provides rougher responses. The human spirit is passive in some but nature shows us that it is rebellious in most.”

Related Characters: Mr. Whitechapel (speaker), Sanders Junior, Chapel, Plantation Owners
Related Symbols: Whip
Page Number and Citation: 32
Explanation and Analysis:
After Chapel’s death, Mr. Whitechapel reproaches Sanders Junior for brutally (and disobediently) whipping Chapel to death. Mr. Whitechapel argues that, unlike many other plantation owners he knows, he does not want to use excessive brutality on his plantation. By contrast, other slave owners sometimes disguise violence through such names as “discipline” or “tightly run operations,” which are nothing more than the implementation of a state of terror on the plantation. Mr. Whitechapel does not oppose violence on the basis of respecting slaves’ dignity. Rather, his concern is exclusively for the long-term sustainability of the plantation’s economic project. His view is 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 accusan

Chapter 6: Plantation Owners Quotes

“Whitechapel, you even got a mention in The Virginian.”

“The death of one slave does not make me one of you.”

“True, Whitechapel, true, it does not; it makes you a fool.”

“And, after all you’ve said, a hypocrite too. ‘The slaves have rights as humans; they are not just tools.’”

“What about this? ‘Show them respect and they’ll work hard.’”

“‘They may be inferior but they’re people like us.’ Lost your tongue, Whitechapel?”

Related Characters: Plantation Owners (speaker), Mr. Whitechapel (speaker), Chapel
Related Symbols: Whip
Page Number and Citation: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
After Chapel’s death, which is reported in the local newspaper, The Virginian, Mr. Whitechapel’s fellow plantation owners mock him for not abiding by his professed principles, according to which slave owners should not use extreme violence against their slaves. Mr. Whitechapel tries to defend himself by arguing that this was an accidental death and that one mistake does not make him as brutal or prone to violence as his peers. However, this defense is naïve. While the plantation owners might indeed be wrong in believing that Mr. Whitechapel wanted to kill Chapel (let alone enjoyed it), they are correct in 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 de

Your policy of a judicious whip failed to save him. There is only one whip, it eats flesh.

Related Characters: Mr. Whitechapel (speaker), Chapel, Plantation Owners
Related Symbols: Whip
Page Number and Citation: 72
Explanation and Analysis:
In the middle of his heated discussion about race and slavery with fellow plantation owners, Mr. Whitechapel takes a moment to reflect on Chapel’s death. When he takes the time to confront his guilt and his feelings of responsibility, he reaches the conclusion that his views about punishment are hypocritical. Mr. Whitechapel realizes that his views are paradoxical. On the one hand, he advocates public punishment, which detracts slaves from running away. On the other hand, he wants to limit violence on the plantation in order to keep slaves from rebelling. While he used to believe that both concepts were 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 eaqu

“Our line of work is slaves, we can’t change the fact. We do it the way we think best serves our investment.”

“It’s not a charity.”

“We are Christians but Christianity does not equal weakness.”

“We treat our slaves with a firm hand, we’re severe in the hope that other slaves will behave well out of fear.”

Related Characters: Plantation Owners (speaker), Mr. Whitechapel
Related Symbols: Whip
Page Number and Citation: 73
Explanation and Analysis:
This conversation among plantation owners discusses the potential compatibility of Christianity with slavery. At the same time, the slave owners’ conversation reveals that any discussion about the economic profitability of slavery cannot be distinguished from a discussion of slavery’s inherent violence. While the men argue that protecting one’s investments involves taking any measure—however violent—to keep slaves from rebelling, they also reveal that slaves’ well-being should never be taken into account. Rather, what matters is the amount of fear they are able to instill in their slaves. It seems that the concept of Christianity is nothing but a nominal marker 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. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit

“How could your Whitechapel watch and not intervene?”

“He lost a son in deference to authority.”

“Name your price. That slave of yours is a slaver’s dream.”

“He’s still not for sale.”

“He deserves your family name.”

“Well said indeed.”

“If he were white he’d still be rare.”

“Let’s drink a toast. To Whitechapel and to his slave.”

Related Characters: Plantation Owners (speaker), Mr. Whitechapel (speaker), Whitechapel, Chapel, Sanders Junior
Related Symbols: Whip
Page Number and Citation: 77
Explanation and Analysis:
After Mr. Whitechapel reveals the parentage between Chapel and Sanders Junior, the plantation owners are surprised that Whitechapel did not intervene to protect his son. The men’s amazement at Whitechapel’s inaction reveals that, despite their claims that slaves are not fully human and should be treated as impersonal economic assets, they know that slaves do have strong ties to their families, as well as feelings of loyalty and pain that can be strong enough to make them rebel against authority. In other words, despite plantation owners’ claims of racial inferiority, they do expect slaves to behave as normal human beings 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. Voluptate labore corporis
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Plantation Owners Character Timeline in The Longest Memory

The timeline below shows where the character Plantation Owners appears in The Longest Memory. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Mr. Whitechapel
Freedom vs. Obedience Theme Icon
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
...manage such a high level of discontent among his slaves. He recalls how the other plantation owners mocked his ideas about managing slaves through mutual respect, and wonders if they might be... (full context)
Freedom vs. Obedience Theme Icon
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
...that he does not call his previously mentioned acquaintances “friends” but, rather, criticizes these other plantation owners for being too brutal and thus breeding rebellion on their plantations, which only generates more... (full context)
Chapter 6: Plantation Owners
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Mr. Whitechapel prepares to meet his fellow plantation owners , whom he knows will ridicule him. He feels conflicted, torn in half by contradictory... (full context)
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
When Mr. Whitechapel’s carriage approaches the building, the plantation owners are amused and wonder why Mr. Whitechapel would choose to drive it himself in the... (full context)
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
...himself that this is his home because his father has helped build the club, the plantation owners take turns mockingly congratulating him for whipping Chapel to death. A long, heated debate ensues... (full context)
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
Meanwhile, the other plantation owners mock Mr. Whitechapel for being a hypocrite, emphasizing that Chapel’s death proves that Mr. Whitechapel’s... (full context)
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
Mr. Whitechapel feels that half of him joins in the plantation owners ’ collective merriment, while another half feels deeply troubled by what is being said. Someone... (full context)
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
Love, Sex, and Family Theme Icon
Mr. Whitechapel then resolves to tell the plantation owners about Chapel’s true identity in a mysterious way, starting a new discussion by claiming that... (full context)
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
Punishment and Cruelty Theme Icon
Love, Sex, and Family Theme Icon
When the plantation owners mention the slave Whitechapel, Mr. Whitechapel resolves to finally tell these men the truth about... (full context)
Racism and Inequality Theme Icon
...ceases to be conflicted, as he feels included in the same group as his fellow plantation owners and accepted by all. Despite Chapel’s death, he feels comfort in knowing that his loyal... (full context)