Which summary best describes the legend of Our Lady of Chains?

Which summary best describes the legend of Our Lady of Chains?

• A. A slave Obadiah finds a wooden figure of a black woman washed up on the Ashley River, the statue speaks to him, and enslaved people worship her as Black Mary.
• B. The statue was found in a church and granted freedom to enslaved people.
• C. A statue of Mary breaks free from chains and leads a rebellion.
• D. The statue represents a symbol of rebellion against owners.

Answer: (A)

The legend centers on a slave named Obadiah who finds a wooden figure of a Black woman washed up on the Ashley River. The statue speaks to him, and enslaved people come to worship her as Black Mary. This description keeps the key events intact—the finder being a Black enslaved person, the miraculous talking statue, and the community’s reverent response—which together convey the legend’s meaning and emotional resonance for the characters. The other summaries change essential details—where the statue is found, whether it grants freedom, or whether it breaks free to lead a rebellion—so they don’t fit the story as it’s told.

The legend centers on a slave named Obadiah who finds a wooden figure of a Black woman washed up on the Ashley River. The statue speaks to him, and enslaved people come to worship her as Black Mary. This description keeps the key events intact—the finder being a Black enslaved person, the miraculous talking statue, and the community’s reverent response—which together convey the legend’s meaning and emotional resonance for the characters. The other summaries change essential details—where the statue is found, whether it grants freedom, or whether it breaks free to lead a rebellion—so they don’t fit the story as it’s told.