Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Washington Black, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Freedom vs. Captivity
Racism, Humanity, and Cruelty
Journeying and the Past
Family, Love, and Pain
Art, Science, and Curiosity
Summary
Analysis
Weeks later, Erasmus returns from his business across the island, but he comes back very ill and refuses to see anyone. Wash prays that Erasmus dies of a fever. Around the same time, they start to assemble the Cloud-cutter, and Titch is especially excited knowing his father swore it could never be made. Philip calls it a foolish venture, but Wash whispers to Titch that his father would be very impressed. Wash asks about Titch’s father, and Titch explains that his father is renowned for his specimen collection in the Arctic and is a Fellow of the Royal Society who has earned high honors.
Even though the Cloud-cutter represents the freedom to journey to new places, the book also suggests that the Cloud-cutter tethers Titch to his past. Here, the implication is that Titch wants to make up for his father’s past failure, and that Titch may never have felt that he has made his father truly proud. Thus, Titch’s actions are an attempt to rectify that past.
Themes
Titch explains some of the assembly of the Cloud-cutter—how the wings and oars will give it direction, while the hydrogen gas will keep it in the air. Calling out to Philip, Titch says that he’s going to give a demonstration of the gas. He tells Philip and Wash to wait several paces away. When Wash approaches Philip, Philip asks Wash to fetch the sandwiches, which are five feet from where Titch is working.
Again, even though Philip isn’t explicitly cruel or dehumanizing towards Wash, his oddly timed request for Wash to get the sandwiches and put himself in danger illustrates that he doesn’t fully view Wash as an equal or consider the harm that might befall him in this moment.
Themes
Wash runs over to the sandwiches, thinking that he can collect them before Titch begins. But as he runs towards the satchel, the air explodes. Wash’s face is on fire; his head strikes the ground. Later, he regains consciousness in a bed, but he can’t open his eyes. He asks aloud if he’s in Dahomey, but Titch only asks how he’s feeling, and Wash realizes that he has not died.
The explosion shows the danger in Philip’s desire for the sandwiches, as he was willing to risk Wash’s safety because he couldn’t wait a few moments to eat. This again implies that Philip doesn’t truly value Wash’s well-being. Additionally, Wash’s question—asking if he is in Dahomey—suggests Wash’s yearning for freedom and his hope in the idea that he could be reborn in Africa.
Themes
Titch apologizes, saying that he thought the altitude was more deficient in oxygen, and that he could do a demonstration—but he was wrong. Wash lifts a hand to his bandaged face, and Titch assures him that his body is luckily unharmed. He asks why Wash stood so close, and Wash replies that Philip sent him for the sandwiches. Wash asks to see his face, but Titch explains that he should let it heal. When Wash pleads, Titch removes the bandages, and Wash realizes that his right eye is foggy. Titch returns with a mirror, and Wash observes how his face looks like mutton—part of his face has been cut away, and his eye is full of blood. Taking out a handkerchief, Titch dabs at Wash’s wounds.
This is a key turning point in Wash’s life, as he gets another set of scars from the explosion. Like the brand on his chest, this part of Wash’s past has now left an inescapable mark on him—both internally and externally. And even though Titch clearly cares about Wash, he has nevertheless placed Wash in danger and caused him a great deal of pain as a result of his scientific experiments. This underscores how families can provide love but also cause deep trauma.
Themes
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The last time Wash was wounded, he recalls, Big Kit did it. When she accidentally cut him with the tip of her machete, he told her to be mindful—and she responded by kicking him in the chest, resulting in three cracked ribs. He was bandaged and spent some nights in the hothouse before returning to the huts. When he was lying down that night, he heard her soft weeping, saying “my son” over and over again. He realized that she had not meant to strike him so hard, and that his days away pained her greatly.
The fact that Wash thinks about this incident with Big Kit in this moment links Big Kit and Titch. Both of them have provided formative love for Wash. But at the same time, they also have the ability to cause deep pain—perhaps even more so because parental figures are usually supposed to protect their children. Additionally, Big Kit’s murmuring “my son” hints at the fact that Big Kit and Wash have a deeper relationship than he knows.
Themes
