The Whipping Boy

(Intro)Slavery in the Southern States of the USA caused numerous conflicts between white planters and their black slaves. Cruelty was a more than common agenda on the cotton plantations. However, the Civil War with the Unionist abolitionists as victorious, the slaves were set free thus conditions in the South were to live up to the words of the Constitution of America being the land of the free (now for everybody).

However, also the process of becoming "freemen" resulted in chaos and mayhem as many former slave owners would / could not accept the abolition of slaves. This chaotic postwar condition is the thematic starting point of Richard Gibney's short story " The Whipping Boy" from 2011.

(Summary)"The Whipping Boy" is a short story taking place in the South of the USA in the wake of the Civil War (mid 1860's). In the story we follow a couple of slaves, Mikey, Tom and Martha, who by Declaration are being set free from slavery.....etc

(analysis -> literary tools)

There are several characters in the short story. There are three main characters and that is the three slaves Mikey, Martha and Tommy. Other than that we have the Gage family with the mom Mrs. Gage and her son Sterling Gage. The three slaves have only been slaves from one family and that is just exactly the Gage family. They have been slaves for the family since they were born and they have to do all the work for the family. Martha has to do all the cooking work and she is also taking care of old Mrs. Gage who is very ill. Mikey and Tommy basicly work out in field but they stop to do the work when the boys from the Union tells them that they are free do anything.