"The distinguishing sign of slavery is to have a price, and to be bought for it"

John Ruskin's quote speaks to the dehumanizing nature of slavery. He is saying that the specifying characteristic of slavery is that it lowers a person to a commodity, something that can be bought and offered. This implies that the enslaved individual is not seen as a human being with rights and self-respect, however rather as an object that can be bought and sold like any other item. This quote also speaks to the power dynamics of slavery, as it suggests that the oppressed individual has no control over their own life and is totally at the mercy of their owner. This quote functions as a suggestion of the scaries of slavery and the value of acknowledging the mankind of all individuals. It is a pointer that nobody must ever be decreased to a commodity which everyone should have to be treated with regard and self-respect.