In Chapter 4, why did the master whip Alice? Why did Sarny see this as especially cruel?

In Chapter 4, the master whipped Alice because she took to wandering in his yard and the vicinity of his house without permission. According to Sarny, field slaves were never allowed to enter the yard or to go up to the master's white house.

However, Alice had taken to wandering off after her traumatic experience at the breeding shack. As Sarny maintains, fertile and physically attractive slaves were often required to participate in breeding sessions....

In Chapter 4, the master whipped Alice because she took to wandering in his yard and the vicinity of his house without permission. According to Sarny, field slaves were never allowed to enter the yard or to go up to the master's white house.

However, Alice had taken to wandering off after her traumatic experience at the breeding shack. As Sarny maintains, fertile and physically attractive slaves were often required to participate in breeding sessions. The purpose, of course, was to produce more potential slaves for the plantation. However, Alice being "addled in the head," proved to be a poor candidate for the breeding experiments. She had only been chosen because of her physical attributes. The breeding sessions effectively left Alice traumatized and emotionally troubled.

Sarny believed that the whipping was especially cruel because the master took no account of Alice's mental condition. Not only was Alice whipped until her back was "ripped and bleeding," but salt was also poured into Alice's wounds to cause additional pain after the whipping. Sarny maintains that the whipping left Alice a broken woman.