Midnight Rider

Hannah’s seven-year indenture to the Gage household functions as a deliberate parallel to colonial America’s subjugation under British rule. Through Hannah’s experience of legal bondage, Harlow makes it clear that individual servitude mirrors the broader political oppression faced by the American colonies, and her narrative suggests that the struggles for personal and political liberation are inextricably linked, as similar shows of courage are required to break legal obligations and emotional attachments.

The terms of Hannah’s indenture contract directly echo the restrictive relationship between Britain and America. Just as Hannah is bound to “faithfully serve” the Gage household and “obey” General Gage’s “lawful commands,” the colonies also find themselves increasingly constrained by British laws that they had no voice in creating. Likewise, when Hannah’s aunt Phoebe receives £50 for signing away Hannah’s freedom, her callous action parallels Britain’s willingness to extract wealth from America via taxation without representation. Both Hannah and the colonies discover that their supposed protectors have sold their autonomy for financial gain, creating systems of dependency that benefit the controllers while limiting the controlled.

Within this context, Hannah’s secret escapes through the tunnel beneath the Province House mirror the broader, clandestine resistance activities of colonial smugglers and Patriots.