(Who was the senior officer of the two boys, Captain Queeg? Personal conversations are not forbidden in the U. S. Navy).

When you are in training, you don't get to room with your brother. Because they were step-brothers, and had different last names, they ended up rooming a lot, just by the luck of the draw. They didn't advertise the relationship, and because of it they were able to look out for one another in some interesting ways.

As far as far-fetched-- I doubt it was the custom for slaves to let their true feelings about overseers known. "Sure, massa! I love being a slave!" seems somewhat at variance with what we can know, today, about the realities of slavery. I am also sure that overseers would not have responded positively to reality-oriented speech in response to their orders.

Maybe, as Azizi has suggested, there were snitches among the slaves. But I think a more pressing danger would have been the overseers. And I doubt that an intelligent, creative people would have preferred silence to lash-provoking speech. Human beings communicate. As best they can.

~Susan