chains by laurie halse anderson characters

Isabel strikes a deal with one of Curzon’s cellmates to make sure Curzon survives. There, survival is a struggle due to his white fellow prisoners’ racism-they don’t believe Curzon, as a Black enslaved person, deserves food, medical care, or blankets. Ultimately, Curzon is shot through the leg and then imprisoned with thousands of other Patriot prisoners at the Bridewell Prison. Curzon believes Bellingham’s promise to free him if Curzon signs up for the military in his place-but other enslaved people insist that Curzon is more likely to die as a soldier. During this time, Isabel learns that Curzon has joined the American army in Bellingham’s place. But Isabel eventually finds out that neither Bellingham nor other Patriot officers are willing to help her, and she refuses to speak to Curzon after this. Because of this, Curzon encourages Isabel to spy on the Locktons (who are Loyalists) for the Patriots’ cause-and in exchange for her intelligence, he promises to talk to Bellingham about freeing Isabel and Ruth.

Curzon is bright, idealistic, and is fully committed to the Americans’ fight for freedom-he believes that when the Patriots talk about freeing everyone, they truly mean everyone, enslaved people included.

He soon becomes Isabel’s only real friend in New York, and she can always recognize him in the crowd by his “ridiculous” red hat and gold hoop in his ear. Curzon is an enslaved boy who’s about Isabel’s age Master Bellingham owns him.

Chains by laurie halse anderson characters