During the 19th centry it was not uncommon for a white landowner daughter to fall in love with a slave boy. In Forbidden Friut this was the case for John, a slave in the Walls's family and Jane Kings to best firends in love. In the 1840s, they fleed together on the Underground Railraod and winded up in a Canadian village. Found on page 174 Deramus it says "During their flight to freedom, John killed two wolves with an ax, according to Bryan Walls's book The Road That Led to Somewhere. When a slave catcher overtook them, Jane pretended to be John's owner and whipped him to prove it. Finally, they reached a Quaker safe house in Indianapolis, where they married. Around most people, though, John pretended he was the husband of a fugitive slave woman traveling with him and Jane." In this story John and Jane are face to face with controversy. As they are seen together they are quick witted and derive a plan so they won't get caught. Luckily, it worked and they were able to continue their flight away from the pain. As they faced their possible death being seen by this slave catcher they were able to free themselves, but what would have happened if they didn't think quick enough?
As the chapter continued DeRamus made a good point "Were those who risked their lives to violate these taboos trying to make a statement against slavery, enthralled by forbidden fruit, naturally rebellious or simply unwilling to deny the urging of their hearts" (175). In this case Jane and John where not making statement, they were just trying to flee together. Unlike Isaac and Lucy, John and Jane were close to their deaths when seen together. In my opinion I don't believe they were making a statement, in fact I just think they were running away. To me making a statement is coming out and displaying the true feelings you have for another person dispite their race. Granted back then it was extremely difficult to be able to stand up against society and display the love you've been hiding. John and Jane's actions show how much they wanted to be together because they ran away together. Jane took the biggest leap in order to leave everything of hers behind to be with him. That is true love once again I restate that love knows no color and luckily our society has come a long way.
To prove their love together they continued their relationship until the grave. Found on page 175 "John died in 1909 at ninety-six and Jane a year later at eighty-eight. Both are buried in the cemetery behind their old log cabin, the original homestead John built in 1846. Today that cabin is part of an Underground Railroad museum operated by the Wallses' descendants. People who visit the John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Musuem in Puce get a chance to reenact the journey of a runaway slave on a trail running through nearby woods". This was a very imortant part of my reading. I found the fact that they are together still proves the statement that they ended up making after running away. Their running away was their escape from all that was going on in that time of history. Now my question to you Jessica is one that I struggled with; Do you think this is a sign of John and Jane making a statement about their love? or do you see it as them running away from the pain of not being able to show off their love for each other in public?
As the chapter continued DeRamus made a good point "Were those who risked their lives to violate these taboos trying to make a statement against slavery, enthralled by forbidden fruit, naturally rebellious or simply unwilling to deny the urging of their hearts" (175). In this case Jane and John where not making statement, they were just trying to flee together. Unlike Isaac and Lucy, John and Jane were close to their deaths when seen together. In my opinion I don't believe they were making a statement, in fact I just think they were running away. To me making a statement is coming out and displaying the true feelings you have for another person dispite their race. Granted back then it was extremely difficult to be able to stand up against society and display the love you've been hiding. John and Jane's actions show how much they wanted to be together because they ran away together. Jane took the biggest leap in order to leave everything of hers behind to be with him. That is true love once again I restate that love knows no color and luckily our society has come a long way.
To prove their love together they continued their relationship until the grave. Found on page 175 "John died in 1909 at ninety-six and Jane a year later at eighty-eight. Both are buried in the cemetery behind their old log cabin, the original homestead John built in 1846. Today that cabin is part of an Underground Railroad museum operated by the Wallses' descendants. People who visit the John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Musuem in Puce get a chance to reenact the journey of a runaway slave on a trail running through nearby woods". This was a very imortant part of my reading. I found the fact that they are together still proves the statement that they ended up making after running away. Their running away was their escape from all that was going on in that time of history. Now my question to you Jessica is one that I struggled with; Do you think this is a sign of John and Jane making a statement about their love? or do you see it as them running away from the pain of not being able to show off their love for each other in public?
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