This scene enables Frederick to flesh out in more detail the day to day challenges of the enslaved as they went about their lives on the plantation.

Not only were they under the intense scrutiny of the various Overseers for the slightest mistake they also had to be wary of the Colonel himself whose temper and mind set was very unpredictable.

The scene ends with the vivid account of the demise of one poor soul by the name of Demby who tried to flee the merciless whipping that had left his back raw from the despicable Overseer Mr. Gore, who thought nothing of blowing poor Dembys brains out while he tried to take shelter in a creek.

As the enslaved, who were considered as property, had nothing at all in the way of human rights such acts on a plantation went without any form of judicial inquiry. The overseer would of course have to explain as to why his action had technically robbed the plantation owner of several hundred dollars of value but the value of the ‘lesson’ for the others as a deterrent was always considered of greater value.