-awareness. Roxana baby's Chambers is partly black and she is the only one who can tell him from her master's child, Tom Driscoll. She has seen a fear-inspiring remembrance that slaves can be disposed of at their master's wills, and sold down the river. One day, this could be her child's fate. In order to protect him from such destiny, and revenge the exploitation imposed by masters upon their servants, she decides to exchange the two babies in their cradles. Thus, Chambers becomes Tom (a slave master) and Tom becomes the new Chambers, a slave. The end results are terribly harmful since her son is spoiled, corrupted, and made barbarous by the role she has given him. In fact, his behavior is nothing more than a reflection of southern aristocratic conduct. Roxana, as a result, is mistreated by her own son who sees her as nothing more than a nigger. However "the moment Tom happened to be good to her, and kind-and this occurred every now and then-all her sore places were healed and she was happy; happy and proud, for this was her son, her nigger son, lording it among the whites and securely avenging their crimes against her race"(22) .. Nevertheless, she is ultimately sold down the river by the very son for whom she has fought the white world. After Tom discovers the truth behind his identify, he undergoes a period of mental crisis. He is incensed by the revelation of his true identity. "Every now and then, after Tom went to bed, he had sudden walking out of his sleep, and his first thought was, "O, joy, it was all a dream!"....:A nigger!-I am a nigger!-oh, I wish I was dead!"....Why were niggers and whites made? What crime did the uncreated first nigger commit that the curse of his birth was decreed for him? And why is this awful difference made between white and black?......How hard the nigger's fate seems, this morning!-yet until last night such a though never entered my head"(44). After a short period of reflection, Tom Driscoll thinks ...
