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In Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen, does the slave community regard Nightjohn's escape as a victory for themselves?

In the story, the slave community definitely regards Nightjohn's escape as a victory for themselves.


Before Nightjohn leaves the plantation, he asks Delie to fetch him some rawhide. With the rawhide and some rags, he fashions a pair of shoes for himself. Then, he slathers pepper and lard under the bottom of each shoe; this allows him to throw the dogs off his scent, and it prevents Waller from apprehending him.


Mammy and the rest of the slaves are ecstatic when they discover that Waller has returned to the plantation empty-handed. They rejoice in the knowledge that one of their own has managed to escape and to get the best of Waller. Meanwhile, Sarny thinks that she will never see Nightjohn again.


However, he surprises her one night when he shows up at the slave quarters. Nightjohn takes Sarny to a secret hideout along the river, where he introduces her to slaves from other plantations. Sarny is ecstatic when she realizes that Nightjohn has begun a school of sorts for the slave community in this hideaway spot. Here, at last, she can read and write freely again.

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