A Look at The Friendship Between Slaves in Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

In the novel Forge, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Curzon and Isabel are slaves who have run away from their masters. As they separate, Curzon joins the army where friendships with soldiers (especially a boy named Eben) help get him through rough times. Curzon continuously thinks about Isabel and is worried if she is safe. While at a camp his former master Bellingham arrives and recognizes him. Once again he becomes a slave and reunites with his fiend Isabel who was also recaptured by Bellingham. Curzon as the main character of this historical novel goes through very tough times. Curzon’s friendship with Isabel and Eben helped him get through his journey.

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Eben’s friendship and support is valuable to Curzon. At one point Curzon saved Eben’s life by throwing a rock at a British soldier. Even though they have many debates on topics that they do not agree with, they manage to stay friends. There is a time when Eben hides a spoon which Curzon has stolen in order to save him from punishment. This shows Eben trusts Curzon and knows his character. Again, in the middle of the story, Eben comes up with a plan for Curzon to free himself from being a slave. Eben says: “Benny is going to dress in your clothes and pull your hat down low… When we’re out of sight, he’ll change back into his own clothes. You’ll need a place to hide.” This proves Eben is trying to help his friend get away and start a better life. But Curzon could not accept the plan because his master would punish Isabel after his escape. Curzon says: “even if you made the best of plans, I couldn’t go. Bellingham has a maid, a friend of mine. I have not yet convinced her to run away. I can’t leave her behind, and if I run, she’ll be mistreated.” All of these events show how deeply caring Eben was and how he benefited Curzon by standing behind him and helping him.

Curzon’s friendship with Isabel was deep and complex. At first when they were brought back together, she is not very kind and understanding while towards the end (when they both are recaptured by Bellingham) she let Curzon know that she also likes him and has feelings for him. Curzon has the same mixed feeling from the start to the end. When Isabel wants to escape, Curzon really wants to be there by his side and he needs to convince her that he would look for her sister. There are many problems in their way and they need to free themselves from the past when they were in chains. Being together in that harsh environment against all odds, gives them more strength at the end and respect for one another. The love they feel for each other helps them try to escape again.

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In conclusion this historical thriller shows us the journey of a young man named Curzon who has survived being in chain, a winter as a soldier and becoming a slave one more time, with the help of his friends Isabelle and Eben. The story ends with stronger bond between Curzon and Isabel who now have started another phase on their journey. They are on the search to find Ruth.