Washington Black

Washington Black

by

Esi Edugyan

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Washington Black: Part 4, Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Titch leads Tanna and Wash inside to his front room, draped with local tapestries and baskets but also European-style furniture. They go to a second, smaller room in the back, and when Titch turns back to them, Wash starts to tear up. Some indefinable thing has shifted in Titch’s features. He now has a pain in his gaze—a darkness like the one Philip had. Titch says he always dreamed Wash would come and remarks on how grown he is, but Wash can’t bring himself to embrace Titch.
This passage again shows how much family members can be sources of sadness. Realizing how Titch has changed and picked up some of Philip’s melancholy causes Wash a deep pain. In this moment, Wash both has to confront his past trauma when Titch abandoned him, but he also sees how the years have taken their toll on Titch as well.
Themes
Family, Love, and Pain Theme Icon
Tanna, Wash, Titch, the young boy, and Wash’s guide sit in the front room, eating vegetable stew. Tanna and Titch make small talk, while Wash thinks about how unreadable Titch has become to him. He is amazed how kind Tanna is being to him, given how harshly she spoke of him before their arrival. Perhaps, he thinks, she also sees the pain in his eyes and doesn’t want to tax him further, but this makes Wash feel alone in his resentment towards Titch.
Again, Wash emphasizes how much family members (or in Tanna’s case, found family) can be sources of conflicting emotions. When Wash wanted to find Titch, he was upset at Tanna’s criticism. But seeing her try to support Wash and act kindly toward Titch, he is equally upset and feels that she has subtly betrayed him.
Themes
Family, Love, and Pain Theme Icon
Titch comments that Tanna and Wash’s arrival was well-timed, as a storm is due. As they continue to talk, Wash peers at the young boy’s intelligent face—when Titch looks at him, he can sense a tenderness there, which upsets Wash. Titch asks about their trip to Granbourne, and he apologizes for his mother’s rudeness. Wash is frustrated at how willingly he takes this responsibility, and yet he doesn’t seem guilty for what he did to Wash. Looking at Wash squarely for the first time, Titch says he is amazed that they came to Morocco. Wash asks about what Titch said when they arrived—that he always dreamed Wash would come. Titch is puzzled and says he doesn’t know what he meant by that.
Titch’s interactions with this young boy parallel the dinner when Wash saw Big Kit taking care of another enslaved boy. In both cases, Wash sees immediately how he has been replaced by someone who was once a parental figure to him. This is one of the most painful parts of Wash’s experience with both of these parental figures, because they protected him and loved him for so long—and yet they also let go of him. This reinforces how both Titch and Big Kit represented family to Wash, but as a result they were also able to cause him pain.
Themes
Family, Love, and Pain Theme Icon