Freedom
Freedom is a major theme in this biographical novel. The main character is an African slave who, by diligence and hard work, earns his own freedom. This cycle from freedom in his village, to slavery in his youth, to freedom again in his later years reflects the great impact the theme of freedom has in this man's life, and therefore in this novel. When he is in slavery, Amos longs for freedom, although he is certainly patient - when asked by Celia Copeland if he wanted to be free, he told her that he would be ready eventually, but he was satisfied working for Caleb. Once he is free, he does his best to extend that freedom to others as well.
Loyalty
Amos has strong feelings of loyalty both to his real family and to the families who have owned him. When in Africa, he and Ath-mun, his sister, were great friends, and since they were separated Amos has always checked the incoming slave shipments to try to find her and buy her freedom. He is never able to locate her, but he compensates by freeing other African slaves he feels a connection to. Amos is also loyal to the families who own him at different times, the Copelands and the Richardsons, as strange as that might seem. Their relationships are actually strong, and he is sad to leave both families.
Racial Relations
As this is a novel about a black slave in white America, the theme of race relations is evident throughout. There are certainly some aspects of these relations that are negative: white men are holding black men in slavery, and many treat them as inferiors. There are, however, aspects of hope: the Copelands and the Richardsons treat Amos almost as an equal, and they grow to love him as he does them. They always part on sad, friendly terms, and Amos establishes his own tanning workshop, an unusual yet promising thing for an African-American to do.
