 When the elder Prentice tells John that he is making a huge mistake, John pushes back, saying that his father thinks of himself “as a colored man, [while] I think of myself as a man.”

After thinking about the situation, and his conversation with Mrs. Prentice in particular, Matt calls everyone together (including Tillie) to make an announcement.He says that it does not matter what everyone else may think about John and Joanna getting married; all that matters is that they love each other regardless of who opposes their marriage.His words move Christina to tears, and he breaks the tension by asking Tillie to serve dinner.