A bloody mess

     As discussed in earlier passages, blood is an integral thread line throughout The Book of Night Women thus far. In the beginning of chapter 10 Andromeda's bloodied corpse is found by her daughter. As Lilith, Homer, Quinn, Humphrey and Miss Isobel look upon the corpse, there is a debate whether or not the body is experiencing the flux. Massa Quinn is sure of it while the othes, more experienced with the dealing of death and the effect it has on the human body, think othe raise. There is a dynamic in this passage that shows that it is not the slave owners or even the men in general that clearly see what is happening and how to react in such situations. The women are the ones who dare to get close to the body while Quinn stays away, wary of the orifices of spitting blood at him (107). When Quinn sees that the blood has touched his shoe he becomes very upset. Miss Isobel and Homer almost telepathically understand the situation and Quinn understands and sees this, further blurring the line from white and black and connecting genders, in spite of race (110). When Quinn gets angry, James describes him as getting redder (109), more connection to color and to blood. Andromeda herself and the possibility of her literally bursting with blood is an ideal metaphor for the setting and circumstances of the novel thus far. Anything could happen at any moment and tensions rise as The blood boils to the surface threading to douse everyone and spread further through the colony. Blood is a metaphor for eventual uprising. Without blood,  Revolution cannot begin.