Choose five (5) significant quotes from the novel and discuss the significance of each quotation in relation to themes, characterization, plot development, symbols and literary devices. Feel free to add you personal opinions in your response.

Post #2:


So geographers, in Afric-maps,
With savage-pictures fill their gaps'
And o'er unhabitable downs
Place elephants for want of towns'
(Introduction)

This quote is significant since it emphasis' the little knowledge that people had of Africa during the time. It is referring to how Amanita throughout her journey was constantly wanting to know where she was from but no one could provide her with the correct answer. People knew of Africa but they did not know anything else. This relates to the theme of the book, since Amanita knows of her home but very little about it. 

Choose five (5) significant quotes from the novel and discuss the significance of each quotation in relation to themes, characterization, plot development, symbols and literary devices. Feel free to add you personal opinions in your response.

Quote #1:

"You must learn respect." Papa said.
"But I do not respect her," I said.
Papa paused for a moment, and patted my leg. "Then you must learn to hide your disrespect."

This quote is a key to Aminatas survival. Many times throughout the novel she is faced with people whom she does not respect, with out these wise words of her father who knows what the outcome Aminata would of been. This characterization shows that Aminata father was preparing her for the journey of slavery that became her whole life. A main theme throughout the novel is survival, in order to survive she had to make the slave traders feel that she respected them to gain the importance and respect from the slave traders. 

Obstacles

Aminata faced many challenges and obstacles during her fight for freedom. Describe a circumstance, obstacle or conflict in your life, and the skills and resources you used to resolve it. Did it change you? If so, how?

Not to long ago I was under going an obstacle. With the pressure of applying to university, I find my self discovering more and more things that interest me. I had always pictured myself creating a career for myself somewhere in the area of design. Sure it is something that interests me but so do many other things. Deciding your future is a big decision that can impact the rest of your life, what happens if you make the wrong decision? I decided to not worry about the future, what ever happens happens. Life will go on, but not only that there is always room for change. I have decided to apply to various programs that have to do with different interests in order to cover all the bases. This will give me more time to decide since the final decision is not until further months. Have I overcome this obstacle, not yet. But I have provided a temporary solution that allows me to look forward to my future!

Social Experiments & Theories

Summarize one of the experiments/theories below and provide insight into how this topic connects to The Book of Negroes.

Dr. Stanley Milgram (Yale 1961-62)

·            There was a teacher (a role intended to obey the orders of the Experimenter), a learner (the recipient of stimulus from the Teacher) and the experimenter (an authoritative role)

·            They were given various shocks if they answered a question wrong

·            In reality the learner was not receiving real shock

They were given this script; they had to finish these four in order to quit. But if they wanted to stop after this they were able to.

·            Please continue.

·            The experiment requires that you continue.

·            It is absolutely essential that you continue.

·            You have no other choice, you must go on.

When Milgram posed this question to a group of Yale University students, it was predicted that no more than 3 out of 100 participants would deliver the maximum shock. In reality, 65% of the participants in Milgram’s study delivered the maximum shocks.

People assume that they will chose to do the right thing, connecting to the Book of Negroes people make the wrong actions because they are convinced by others that the thing they are doing is ok. It is relates to group mentality or peer pressure. 

Milk For The Longest Nursing

Why does Aminata want to marry Chekura?

Aminata and Chekura have a strong emotional connection. When Chekura is first introduced to Aminata he favors her and is a key to her survival. He gives her food and the basic necessities to survive. Originally she thinks of him as a brother figure. But we soon learn that they develop a romantic connection as well. The reason she wants to marry him, even in the difficult conditions is because he is the last piece that he was that connects her to her past life. To her, he understands her situation and can sympathize with her. They are both from Africa, and want to maintain African. He keeps her past alive in her, and she does not want to lose touch with that. Her parents, village, her entire life, they are all memories. Chekura helps keep those memories alive. She also wants to bind her family together, she is pregant without being married. In her village you were only respected if you were married as well. They want to keep the traditions alive.

Words Swim Farther Than a Man Can Walk

Is there a deeper meaning to why Fomba can't speak anymore? Refer to the quote "You done cross the river, and your head is on fire. But grown man done cross the river and shut his mouth forever," on pg. 149.

The deeper meaning to this is that Fomba knows his fate. He had been a slave of his village, so he understands what it means to not have any freedom. But now that he is a slave of the the toubabu's, he understands that the chances of him ever being free are very slim. When they were in Bayo they had heard rumors that people had been coming and kidnapping civilians. Aminata had always interpreted this as being a rumor or scary story meant to scare the children. But Fomba had known the harsh truth that those rumors could soon be a reality. Aminata went into the situation with no prior knowledge, she did not know what to expect or what would become of her. She still maintained a sense of hope. She still has a sense of innocence, and she continues to be curious. The curiosity is what is meant by her head being on fire. She is still trying to figure out what to make of the situation since she does not fully understand her situation.

They Call Me An African

What did Aminata's dream mean?

When Aminatas strange dream occurs, we were lead to interpret a deeper meaning from the text. The pregnant rabbit appears on the pathway, it is traveling down a path way encouraging Aminata to follow its lead. She can hear the beating of drums, that brings her back to her homeland, Bayo. The dream feels surreal to Aminata, since it is bringing her back to her past life, that she so desperately wants to return to. When the rabbit emerges into her mother. The reasoning the rabbit symbolized her mother alike the rabbit are there to guide Aminata. To give her the guidance she needed to decide weather or not she should continue her life into slavery. The rabbit/her mother was showing Aminata that one day she will return home, that if she continues on the path she is on she will one day be free.

"And my story waits like a restful beast"

Question: Compare and contrast Amanita’s beliefs and values with the Abolitionist’s.

Amanita has endured many hardships, that most people have never experienced anything like. She had been living with the basic necessities for almost her entire life. Now that she is in London, she has to learn to adapt to her modern society that surrounds her. To Amanita all she needs to survive is her food, shelter, water etc., so now that she is surrounded by the British men who make the most of there resources she determines strong opinions on those who she is supposed to work with. The Abolitionist's like to think that they have the best motive in mind while trying to persuade Amanita to share her story. But we are lead to believe there is an underlining motive. Amanitas values are family, religion, and her historic past. But the abolitionists main motive is money. The contrasted difference lead us to wonder how the two different personalities are going to work together to abolish slavery.

The Book of Negroes

After our discussion in class, how do you feel about the title The Book of Negroes. Please comment on censorship, the book burnings, and the appropriateness of the title. Based on what you already know about the novel, what other names might be fitting?

The Book of Negroes was a historical document in which the black loyalists who had escaped from slavery, wrote names and descriptions about themselves in order to share they’re stories of what they had endured in slavery. The book has a direct correlation with this historical document, since the main character was enslaved and escapes to become a black loyalist. The title is appropriate since the story relates to the title. I think that burning the book cover is an extreme way to show that they don’t approve of the book title, since the author has also provided many other books with alternate “more appropriate” title. There has been other names that the book has been called, but the most suitable one for the story is The Book of Negroes.

Quick Write: Which essay did you like best? Make sure you explain/support your answer.

The essay that I liked the best was In the Trenches. The author of the book is narrating the descriptions of what it was like in trench warfare. He kept all his writing organized in chronologic order, with a few flashbacks. The descriptive writing made the reader feel as though they were experiencing the war. He used enough detail to keep the reader intrigued, but didn’t exaggerate too much that we would lose interest.  Harrison also exploits the use of figures of speech; the most common literary device he used was similes and metaphors. The author of the essay personalized the character to the reader by talking in present tense, to build a feeling of suspense in the readers.

Introduction

Hey,
I am Olivia. I have lived in a small town in Canada my entire life. I hope to either go to university next year, or travel and work for a gap year. The profession that I hope to pursue in the future is architecture or something that is design related. Some hobbies or activities that I like to take part in are soccer, drawing, reading and traveling.  Traveling has always been a big interest of mine. A few of my favourite books are The Perks of A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and the Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I hope to have a good school year!