The passages explained are on pages 222-236, found in The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by MT Anderson. He describes the documents which speak of the death of Cassiopeia: the crossed out memoirs of Octavian (with poem by Theoginis): the scientific article by Gitney and Sharpe and the letter from Dr Trefusis. These pages begin with the fatal illness of Octavian's mother, Cassiopeia, aged twenty-nine. , smallpox. Octavian (16) is with her until the so-called scientists (or self-proclaimed philosophers) of the Novanglian College of Lucidity chase him away to undertake extremely painful "cures" and make the illness worse. She dies and an autopsy is begun. At this point, Octave enters the room by force. He fights with one of those men who cut up his mother's body until he realizes it's a fight he can't win. At this point, Octavian realizes his "nothingness" and leaves the room. He now knows that he is a helpless slave. He feels that his helpless state is worse than death. That night, he ran away from his owners. So far in the book, the "Manuscript Testimony" is by Octavian "Gitney" (the name of its owner. This part is taken from "II The Pox Party". The action pages 222-236 takes place during the American Revolution, early and early, 1775 in Cannaan, Massachusetts. The house of the Novaglian College of Lucidity retreats from violence in the home of one of Mr. Gitney's brothers, one of the "Young Men." "The description fits the white men who support the college and admire Cassiopeia, a great beauty, although black, before she contracted smallpox in this house, she dances (and is treated differently than in Boston now). , sir […] the men pull it ...... middle of paper ......e nothing to finally discover that it is something Pages 222-236 are the most important of the book. their scientific and philosophical metaphors, to show an “objective” understanding, cannot resist the sufferings of Cassiopeia and Octavian. He stops after a paragraph, crossing out everything else except the poem saying that death is better than life. He expresses his grief, Mr. Sharpe expresses his cruelty, his prejudice and his anger (at Octavian's escape) while pretending to only show the facts. Trefusis's description of the afflicted Dr. Gitney (so weak and hypocritical) shows what he looks like. Dr. Trefusis, on the other hand, writes that emotions are facts and can be studied like any other fact. He is therefore the most honorable of these so-called scientists.Works CitedThe Amazing Life of Octavian Nothing