Response to Decker

I really enjoyed reading your post.  You have two really excellent points and I agree with them.  I like the one where you said http://deckeramericanlit.blogspot.com/ “Dick (his name is even ironic)” I was telling my husband about the story and when I was finished telling him about the story I had said that the name Dick was ironic in the story because of how he is kind of a dick by doing nothing with his life and when he finally does do something it’s still all for him.  I think the girl’s name also is a little ironic because her name is Charity and she would like Dick to help others and do more with his life such a charity and free a slave. 

The other thing that I like what you said was “The author tricks us all.  While “passing” many times serves as a metaphor for “death”, the passing in this instance is the passing of a slave into freedom.  Final though; think if the title has read, “The Escape of Grandison”, gives it all away doesn’t it?” http://deckeramericanlit.blogspot.com/

That is so true.  When I read the title and started to read the story I thought that he was going to be killed and I thought that because of the word “passing”.  To me I thought he was going to pass away or be killed and this was the story of how he passed away.  I never actually thought of the meaning behind the title until you said something.  It really would have given away the story and how it ends if the title of the story was in fact “The Escape of Grandison”.