2.) What does Orpah think of Toloki and visa versa? Where do you see their relationship headed?

Toloki's relationship with Orpah is very gentleman-like, he is so nice to her. He has started to take her drawings ans hide them from Ruth so that she won't destroy them. He also thinks that Orpah is very pretty and wants to get to know her better. He loves the sounds of the music she makes and loves her drawings. He tries to get to know her by bumping into her when she emerges from her room, regardless of whether or not these 'bumps' are on purpose or not. Orpah used to ignore Toloki all the time, but she has started to warm up to him slowly. She doesn't ignore him quite as much, but still doesn't talk to him very much. She doesn't realize that Toloki likes her so much, and still spends the majority of her time hidden away in her room upstairs playing her music. Orpah has realized what Toloki is doing for her regarding her drawings though and is opening up to him bit by bit. I think that since Toloki is being so nice to her and trying so hard to get to know her, Orpah should return the favor. Although Orpah is taking her time opening up to Toloki I see their relationship heading in the right direction. I think that she will continue to slowly open up more and more to him and they will end up together, or I hope so at least, because Toloki is so nice to her.

Do you think Obed received fair treatment in the mediation?

I think that Obed receives extremely good treatment in the mediation. I do not think its fair to Beth as a matter of fact. Obed displays no remorse throughout the mediation and yet he ends up getting off scotch free. I realize that Beth doesn't want to have her reputation tarnished or go through all the hassle of a lawsuit, and she also doesn't want to admit that she has become addicted to the touch of the real ghost of Nicodemus. Although she doesn't want to go through these things I do not think that she should let Obed off so easily, especially when he is under the personal impression that he did nothing wrong. He shouts and interrupts Beth during the mediation and is only kept remotely calm because of Toloki. At the end of the session Beth is at first ready to just let Obed walk because he shows his 'fake remorse' to her, but Toloki suggests he paint their sorority house. I personally don't think that even this gesture is enough for what Obed did to the girl. He should have had some punishment and compensation of some sort instead of just one of the two. I think he received better treatment then he should have and the mediation was not fair for Beth, she should have stood up for herself better.

Slave Quilts

In Cion, the second chapter is all about slavery and the far ancestry of Obed, Orpah, Ruth and Mr. Quigley. The reader follows the Abyssinian Queen and her life at The Owner’s plantation. We read about her two sons and her numerous stories she shares with them about escaping and reaching their freedom. She also makes many quilts that are supposed to help with their escape. Many people today believe that quilts made by slaves were used as coded maps to help them escape. Others think the quilt patterns were visual maps that showed the directions for the routes north. In this book, the Abyssinian Queen creates one quilt that has a hidden map for her oldest son to help with his escape while she makes one for her younger son Nicodemus that shows different tools he will need to use for escape. Whether the quilts and their secret directions were actually utilized as tools on the Underground Railroad people do not know for sure. However, the legend has been passed down from generation to generation and is now an important piece of American History, which is also shown in Cion by the Quigley family. Ruth shows Toloki two quilts that were passed down through generations to her, one being an African pattern she says, which may have been used as a slave quilt for escape.
The codes in some patterns were more obvious than others according to American History. For example, the North Star, Crossroads, and The Wagon Wheel represented apparent landmarks, while a Sailboat indicated a body of water or the availability of boats, the Drunkard's Path reminded travelers to vary their path by moving east and west, and the Monkey Wrench was a sign to gather tools together in preparation of an escape. In Cion, the Abyssinian Queen creates the quilt for Nicodemus which has the numerous different patterns that represent different tools used for his escape to freedom. His quilt included the pattern of the North Star, the Drunkard’s Path, the Log Cabin, Crossroads, the Flying Geese, and the Monkey Wrench. The two sons learn that the North Star represents which way to go to get to Canada, the Monkey Wrench warning them of the necessity of thorough preparation of tools and other necessities for escape; the Flying Geese and Crossroads identified direction of which to take; the Log Cabin denoted safe havens of the Underground Railroad. She told them that there were many other patterns that they and herself could learn in due time. Although Cion says that the Abyssinian Queen is contented and has accepted the fact that she will always be enslaved to The Owner, I wonder why she doesn’t want to go along with her sons to their freedom. She is the one with the knowledge of escaping and the quilting abilities and the patterns knowledge also. I wonder why she wouldn’t consider getting her whole family across the Jordan River to freedom and meet up with Nicodemus’ father. The book doesn’t even mention her considering it.