Stowe calls the senator an example of a “ sad case of patriotism”. Many of the people in these times believed that they were doing right by owning slaves. With Stowe’s word choice it is clear that she sees what slavery really is. She describes slavery as the act of shattering families. The word shattering allows the reader to visualize the level of impact slavery has on a family. Shattering is often referred to as when something fragile breaks to the point that it is no longer repairable. Families that are torn apart because members of their families are being sold are destroyed because there is no way to see them again. Mothers of such sold children look for shelter in death. For most people death is not a form of shelter but an enemy.
