Discussion #2 - The Sugar Camp Quilt - up to page 113

[homesteadmamma]

Do not read if you haven't gotten to page 113

1. Why do you think Uncle Jacob needs this quilt by winter?

2. Why does he want this quilt exactly as he has drawn, with clear and distinct points?

3. Were you mystified by the lobsided 4 point block Uncle Jacob wants in this quilt.

4. Should Dorothea have corrected Uncle Jacob's "mistake" without asking him first?

5. Why is Mr. Nelson disinterested in the new library?

6. Up until this point, do you like or dislike Uncle Jacob?

7. What role do you feel Cyprus is going to end up playing in this book?

8. What "matter" do you think Leggett was speaking of taking care of when he met Cyprus and Dorothea?

9. Why do you think there is a ladder in the quilt?

10. Do you think in those times it was better for a young girl to have a "trained mind" or be "trained to marry the right person (someone with money or a title)"

11. Was it right for Cyprus to have checked into Mr. Nelson's background and then to tell Dorothea only part of what he had heard.

12. Why do you think Mr. Nelson really went to jail.

13. Was Dorothea being to quick to be judgemental of Mr. Nelson. Why or why not?

15. Mrs. Engle - what do you think of her? Do you feel Cyprus is tied to her apron strings?

16. Should Dorothea have remained quiet about her chosen authors and spoke how she felt, no matter what Mrs. Engle felt.

17. What do you think about Uncle Jacob's erractic behavior.

18. The last paragraph in the chapter on page 113, has Uncle Jacob in tears. Are you beginning to see a different man and are you softening towards him. Why or why not?

[Kimberlina]

1. Why do you think Uncle Jacob needs this quilt by winter?

He obviously has some plans for it that we aren't aware of. Not sure what yet (well, unless you read the dust jacket...grrrrrr) but it isn't just your average quilt.

2. Why does he want this quilt exactly as he has drawn, with clear and distinct points?

At this point in the book (again, if you have avoided that darn dust jacket, which I foolishly looked at this morning) who knows? It clearly isn't for what he says- just a replication of his mother's quilt.

3. Were you mystified by the lobsided 4 point block Uncle Jacob wants in this quilt.

Well, yes, but again, I know very little about quilting. I've only taken one class, and only know how to do a few different blocks.


4. Should Dorothea have corrected Uncle Jacob's "mistake" without asking him first?

I don't think so, since he told her a couple times to do the blocks precisely as he drew them, and he was clearly taking a lot of time to draw the blocks.



5. Why is Mr. Nelson disinterested in the new library?

I don't really know- I think he is still angry about having to be where he is and thus doesn't care too much about the community.


6. Up until this point, do you like or dislike Uncle Jacob?

I like him. He's mean, but I think he is hiding something, as I said in discussion 1.

7. What role do you feel Cyprus is going to end up playing in this book?

I think Cyrus is the bad guy. I think he is the Wickham to Nelson's Darcy. I think he is pro-slavery, too.

8. What "matter" do you think Leggett was speaking of taking care of when he met Cyprus and Dorothea?

Purely conjecture, obviously, but the attack on the Wright's.

9. Why do you think there is a ladder in the quilt?

Up to this point in the book, there really isn't much to indicate why.

10. Do you think in those times it was better for a young girl to have a "trained mind" or be "trained to marry the right person (someone with money or a title)"


Well, I'd like to think a trained mind, but I don't believe that was the case. Women had few rights, and an unmarried woman couldn't do as much on her own as a man because of the restrictions of the day. So being trained to marry the right person was probably the best a parent could do for his/her daughter in these times. (Though the people who raised their daughters like Dorothea were the people whose kids eventually forced change upon society to allow women equal rights.)


11. Was it right for Cyprus to have checked into Mr. Nelson's background and then to tell Dorothea only part of what he had heard.

No, because she clearly thinks he is an evil-doer when it is so clear, even though they haven't mentioned it yet, that he went to jail for doing the RIGHT thing.


12. Why do you think Mr. Nelson really went to jail.

I think he went to jail for being involed in the abolition movement.

13. Was Dorothea being to quick to be judgemental of Mr. Nelson. Why or why not?

Yes, because he was to classist when she met him and she overheard him being cruel, although it is most likely that he really is a good person whose nose is out of joint, so to speak, about his current circumstances.



15. Mrs. Engle - what do you think of her? Do you feel Cyprus is tied to her apron strings?

I don't like her at all, and yes, I think he is pretty well attached to her.

16. Should Dorothea have remained quiet about her chosen authors and spoke how she felt, no matter what Mrs. Engle felt.

I do sort of think that for now, she should keep quiet, because Mrs. Engel has a lot of influence, and Dorothea could find herself kicked off the committee if she does time her speaking out properly. She should wait and bring it up at a more opportune time.





17. What do you think about Uncle Jacob's erractic behavior.

Something was obviously going on, but I don't think it is illness. He is up to something.



18. The last paragraph in the chapter on page 113, has Uncle Jacob in tears. Are you beginning to see a different man and are you softening towards him. Why or why not?

I have thought from basically the beginning that Uncle Jacob really wants what is best for the family as a whole. At the end of this section, I can see it is more specifically directed towards Dorothea- he cares deeply about her but can no longer show his affection because of the deep emotional wounds he suffered when his family died.

[Julia Kimber]

. Why do you think Uncle Jacob needs this quilt by winter?

The reason I thought of in the beginning was because he wanted to spend more time at the sugar camp but you got the impression that there was more to it than that.

2. Why does he want this quilt exactly as he has drawn, with clear and distinct points?

If you haven't read the dust jacket then I think you would surmise that he was just wanting it done that way to copy an old pattern or something like that.

3. Were you mystified by the lobsided 4 point block Uncle Jacob wants in this quilt.

Not really, he did like things done HIS way.

4. Should Dorothea have corrected Uncle Jacob's "mistake" without asking him first?

No I don't think so, it was obvious he had a reason for it and she should have checked with him first, it wasn't up to her to change it, no matter what she thought.

5. Why is Mr. Nelson disinterested in the new library?

I think the people involved in it were not the sort of folks he wanted to mix with.

6. Up until this point, do you like or dislike Uncle Jacob?

I disliked him but then at the same time had a grudging respect for him.

7. What role do you feel Cyprus is going to end up playing in this book?

He seemed too good to be true and little things he said and did kept pointing to that being so.

8. What "matter" do you think Leggett was speaking of taking care of when he met Cyprus and Dorothea?

This was when I really started getting supicious of Cyrus, there was something going on that he was involved in, maybe to do with the Wrights.

9. Why do you think there is a ladder in the quilt?

Just another part of Uncle Jacob's strange pattern at this point.

10. Do you think in those times it was better for a young girl to have a "trained mind" or be "trained to marry the right person (someone with money or a title)"

I think they used to believe it was better for them to be trained for marriage. But Dorothea had a brain and was not going to be satisfied with just sitting around and looking pretty.

11. Was it right for Cyprus to have checked into Mr. Nelson's background and then to tell Dorothea only part of what he had heard.

No, Cyrus was showing then what a dishonest person he was and with not telling the whole truth, Dorothea was judging Mr Nelson wrongly.

12. Why do you think Mr. Nelson really went to jail.

At this point I thought it might have had something to do with anti-slavery, being involved in abolition somehow.

13. Was Dorothea being to quick to be judgemental of Mr. Nelson. Why or why not?

Yes I think she was, she didn't know the full story although his manner towrds her when they first met didn't help.

15. Mrs. Engle - what do you think of her? Do you feel Cyprus is tied to her apron strings?

No, he seems too sure of himself to be tied to his mother's apron strings, he just keeps on her side for his own use. Her money and position can be of help to him.

16. Should Dorothea have remained quiet about her chosen authors and spoke how she felt, no matter what Mrs. Engle felt.

In some ways I think she should have remained quiet but she was an honest girl and didn't want it to come as a suprise. That in turn would have made Mrs Engle even more nasty towards her.

17. What do you think about Uncle Jacob's erractic behavior.

I thought at the time he may be suffering some form of dementia.

18. The last paragraph in the chapter on page 113, has Uncle Jacob in tears. Are you beginning to see a different man and are you softening towards him. Why or why not?

Yes, that proved to me that Uncle Jacob was not the hard man he made himself out to be. His opinion of Cyrus and the way he warned Dorothea was also in his favour.


__________________

[Mamaw]

Why do you think Uncle Jacob needs this quilt by winter?
I really thought he just wanted his done first and put a timeline on it to be sure it got worked on

2. Why does he want this quilt exactly as he has drawn, with clear and distinct points?
I thought he was just remembering an old quilt from his childhood that was either not well made or that he did not remember clearly. Most of us cant remember all the details of childhood that well

3. Were you mystified by the lobsided 4 point block Uncle Jacob wants in this quilt.
Yes

4. Should Dorothea have corrected Uncle Jacob's "mistake" without asking him first?
With the way he has been acting, I would not have corrected it. But I am sure she was taking pride in her work and felt she had done the right thing

5. Why is Mr. Nelson disinterested in the new library?
I think he is sulking about having to move to that community

6. Up until this point, do you like or dislike Uncle Jacob?
I dislike him intensely. I do feel a certain respect for his work ethic but I dont think he is displaying a Christian attitude toward his family members or the community at large

7. What role do you feel Cyprus is going to end up playing in this book?
I think he will end up being trouble. He is typical of the snake in the grass kind of young man. I dont trust him

8. What "matter" do you think Leggett was speaking of taking care of when he met Cyprus and Dorothea?
I am not certain but I think it relates to the Wilsons

9. Why do you think there is a ladder in the quilt?
uncle Jacobs whim

10. Do you think in those times it was better for a young girl to have a "trained mind" or be "trained to marry the right person (someone with money or a title)"
In that time period it would be better for a girl to be trained to marry the right person. Women were second class citizens and there were not many options open to them related to employment in which a trained mind would provide for them. They were basically at the mercy of the men in their lives and dependant on female wiles so to speak, to ensure their and their childrens safety and survival. In additional the class and social divides would make it difficult for a highly educated woman to move in comfort.

11. Was it right for Cyprus to have checked into Mr. Nelson's background and then to tell Dorothea only part of what he had heard.
No. Again I dont trust him. I believe he is actually a bit afraid of Mr Nelson for some reason.

12. Why do you think Mr. Nelson really went to jail.
I think he helped slaves

13. Was Dorothea being to quick to be judgemental of Mr. Nelson. Why or why not?
In retrospect yes however I dont know that I would have felt very kindly toward him after his overheard comments. I was actually proud of her for telling him where to put it in a somewhat nice manner

15. Mrs. Engle - what do you think of her? Do you feel Cyprus is tied to her apron strings?
She is used to having her own way and would be quite difficult to deal with. Cyprus is dependent on her financially and emotionally and is quite afraid of her.

16. Should Dorothea have remained quiet about her chosen authors and spoke how she felt, no matter what Mrs. Engle felt.
She was right to speak up about her feelings. Mrs Engle had no right to impose her opinions on the rest of the group. The other women should have had a voice in the matter also.


17. What do you think about Uncle Jacob's erractic behavior.
He is getting old, perhaps is ill and looking back on his life with regret.

18. The last paragraph in the chapter on page 113, has Uncle Jacob in tears. Are you beginning to see a different man and are you softening towards him. Why or why not? Frankly the tears confused me. All this time he is stern, gruff, never affectionate. Now he is going to cry? I again wondered if he was ill or regretting certain actions in his life.

[Vannie]

1. Why do you think Uncle Jacob needs this quilt by winter?

When you read the jacket you can almost guess that something important is going to happen.


2. Why does he want this quilt exactly as he has drawn, with clear and distinct points?

This is his secret map that can only be read by slaves. It must be perfect. (I was very interested when I read this. I learned about these quilts on PBS)


3. Were you mystified by the lobsided 4 point block Uncle Jacob wants in this quilt.

I was not mystified because he has shown his hand.


4. Should Dorothea have corrected Uncle Jacob's "mistake" without asking him first?

No. Knowing how exacting Uncle Jacob is, she should not have.


5. Why is Mr. Nelson disinterested in the new library?

I think he does not think the people are "his kind".


6. Up until this point, do you like or dislike Uncle Jacob?

Originally I was not sure if I liked him or not. Now I do like him


7. What role do you feel Cyprus is going to end up playing in this book?

Not sure, but Cyprus is not as good as he appears to be.


8. What "matter" do you think Leggett was speaking of taking care of when he met Cyprus and Dorothea?

Can't be sure but it seems to be a Leggett/Wrights thing.


9. Why do you think there is a ladder in the quilt?

An odd guess. There is an old spiritual, I think it is titled "Jacobs Ladder". It starts "We are climbing Jacob's ladder". Maybe this way the slaves would know for sure that the quilt/map was legitimate because it was from "Jacob". They would have known the song.


10. Do you think in those times it was better for a young girl to have a "trained mind" or be "trained to marry the right person (someone with money or a title)"

Always a trained mind, no matter what the circumstances are.


11. Was it right for Cyprus to have checked into Mr. Nelson's background and then to tell Dorothea only part of what he had heard.

No. That was censorship and Cyprus was self-serving.


12. Why do you think Mr. Nelson really went to jail.

I think the real reason was that he did the unthinkable--helped slaves.


13. Was Dorothea being to quick to be judgemental of Mr. Nelson. Why or why not

Yes and no. I think it is human nature on her part.


15. Mrs. Engle - what do you think of her? Do you feel Cyprus is tied to her apron strings?

I think she is in as much control as she thinks she is. I do not think Cyprus is tied to her apron strings--he is cunning.


16. Should Dorothea have remained quiet about her chosen authors and spoke how she felt, no matter what Mrs. Engle felt.

Dorothea did the right thing by speaking out.


17. What do you think about Uncle Jacob's erractic behavior.

I am not sure how I feel about his behavior. Still thinking about it.


18. The last paragraph in the chapter on page 113, has Uncle Jacob in tears. Are you beginning to see a different man and are you softening towards him. Why or why not?

I like Jacob, even with his gruff manner. I had already changed my mind about him. Some men hide their feelings very well. When they cry or show emotion, everyone is surprised or is in disbelief.