Question

the purpose of the underlined words in this passage is to show that george accepts his life as it is. is not disrespectful. is a person, not a thing. george was taken home, and put to the meanest drudgery hardest work of the farm. he had been able to repress every disrespectful word; but the flashing eye, the gloomy and troubled brow, were ... signs, which showed too plainly that the man could not become a thing. -uncle toms cabin, chapter 2

Explanation:

The underlined phrases describe George's human emotional and physical reactions (a flashing eye, a troubled brow) that contrast with being treated as an unfeeling "thing." The text explicitly states these are signs he "could not become a thing," emphasizing his inherent personhood.

Answer:

is a person, not a thing.