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
When Tanna pulls away, Wash sees a man has entered the room. The man introduces himself as Robert Solander, explaining that he heard they were looking for Titch’s whereabouts. Solander says that Titch appeared there two years ago. He says that Titch’s brother had recently passed away, and near the end of Titch’s time there, he seemed to be wearing another person’s clothes—like he became too big for them.
Although Solander doesn’t fully flesh out the mystery of Titch’s clothes, the information he gives paints a picture of a man who is lost and uncomfortable in his own skin—perhaps particularly following Erasmus’s death. Though Wash doesn’t know the full story, the book implies that Titch, too, is embarking on his own journeys to avoid his past and loss.
Themes
Solander goes on, explaining that he received a letter from Titch about 15 months earlier. He gives it to Wash, who is amazed to see that the letter was posted from a home in Amsterdam—an address belonging to Peter Haas. Wash realizes that in his youth, he must have gotten Peter House’s last name wrong. Solander gives Wash the envelope with the address, apologizing that he can’t be more helpful.
Solander provides Wash with the next path for Wash to try and find Titch. As Wash continues to retrace Titch’s steps, the book again implies that Wash is trying to make all of these journeys because he feels he can’t move on from his past without confronting it.
Themes
