Blog Post 3 - Book Of Negroes

 My novel, Book Of Negroes, is most certainly based on slavery pre-American Revolution, as well as post American Revolution. An important part of the novel is when Aminatas slave owner takes her to New York. This happens after the death of his wife due to small pox which were a very common disease during this time. But due to rioting from the outbreak of the Revolution, Aminata escapes Solomon Lindo. Aminata then begins to work as a midwife as well as a teacher, teaching other black individuals how to read and write. Something that I was really uneducated on is what the American Revolution was for. Yes, of course it was mainly pushing the idea of United States Of Americas separation from Britain and the road to the Declaration of Indpendence, but it also had a huge toll on slavery as well.
During the Revolution, thousands of slaves escaped their owners in search of freedom. Many had their name written in the Book Of Negroes, which is a document that lists freed American slaves that who had requested permission to leave the United States in order to resettle. Mostly in Nova Scotia. The American Revolution was a bloody, terrible battle, but the end result was the Declaration of Independence. Many of you would recognize this as also being July, 4th every year. A celebration for American citizens. But along with the many Americans that served in this battle, were thousands of slaves that earned their freedom by fighting on both sides of this battle. While thousands of other slaves, freed themselves by running away.
In April 1775 Lord Dunmore promised all slaves who joint with "His Majesty's Troops". Around 800 slaves joined British forces, many wearing the emblem " Liberty To Slaves".  But after the Declaration of Independence was written, years later people realized that the word "slave" was no in it.  Despite this, slavery got important protections in the Constitution. The Three-fifths clause counted three fifths of the slave population in a portioned representation. This gave the South extra representation in the House and extra votes in elections. This constitution also prohibited government from outlawing Atlantic slave trade for 20 years. AS well as a fugitive slave clause that forced runaway slaves to go back to their owners. This constitution also gave the federal government power to stop rebellions which includes slave insurrections.
So in conclusion the American Revolution did have a strong impact on slavery in the late 1700's. It was definitely a huge stepping stone in the elimination of slavery in America. It had a huge tie into this novel as Aminata acquired freedom due to the American Revolution, and that set up the next parts of the story as Aminata's journey continues with her freedom.

Blog Post #2 - Feminist Literary Criticism

In Book of Negroes it has become quite evident to me that one of the main literary theories used is feminist literary criticism.  Aminata, the main character of the novel being a female already gives the novel a different twist. This book is set in the 1800's when women were not seen as equal. Especially when that woman is in slave trading. The author gives the most powerful role to a female. This makes me as reader get into the novel a lot more because all of the hardships that happen throughout this novel are so intense that its hard to believe that a female has gone through it all and still comes out as strong as Aminata does. In Bayo, women are not as disrespected as they were in many other places.  This gives the book a good vibe also because women have a strong role and to a point are respected. On the ride to America, women were treated better by the capturers than the men were. If you look past the fact that many of them were forced to do sexual favours for some of the crewman. This shows that though the women were treated better, they were still viewed as sex objects. Although Aminata defies those odds and becomes much more than that. She is a very strong character that leads many people and also inspires them too. As they got to America the respect was less as in this time women were not overly respected in this area of the world. They were purely for the stereotypical housewife roles, raising children, cooking and cleaning, and staying silent. Which was also a big thing for slaves, you do your work and say nothing. Aminata uses her voice to exercise power, because she is such a charming girl, many people look to her when they need someone and she tends to be able to get out of things or get things by using her personality.

The Book Of Negroes - Lawrence Hill

The book I’m reading is called The Book Of Negroes, or in some places, Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill.  This book is by far one of the most interesting novels I’ve read, and I’ve read many. The main character, Aminata Diallo, is from a village in Africa called Bayo. So far in part 1, Aminata has gone from living happily within the, so she thought, safe walls of Bayo, to the loss of both of her parents in the fight to keep from being captured by the ‘toubabs’. She then continued a long journey chained to many other captives to the ocean where hundreds of ‘homelanders’ were forced into dirty, dark rooms beneath the deck of a large boat.  The journey then continues for months while Aminata talks about her good treatment by one of the crewman aboard, letting her sleep in his room and feeding and cleaning her. Unlike the rest of the boat, Aminata had a decent set up. Until after one of Aminatas villagers has her baby, and a huge outbreak pursues on the boat. Homelanders attacked the toubabs, but in the end many homelanders were killed and they lost the battle, resulting in harsher treatment to all of them. At the end of part one Aminata describes seeing land along the horizon, the year or so long boat ride was coming to an end. Throughout the hundred pages I read it was clear the the author had developed a very mature, strong female role for Aminata.  She had become so wise by working alongside her mother in delivering babies, and is very smart. She is a brave girl, and inspires many along her journey. Chekura, a friend she met along the way, looks up to Aminata. For example, when she delivers Fanta’s baby. Fanta, a woman from Aminatas village in Bayo had always been very mean to Aminata. So we find out later that this was because Aminata was soon going to become the Chiefs, Fantas husband, new wife. Fanta was jealous. But Aminata was a strong, mature girl and though she never took well to Fanta either, she still overcame her feelings and helped deliver Fanta’s baby, throughout constant ridicule. 

I find that in a few instances, Hill has given too much information. During the scene when Aminatas mother is fighting off the captors, it goes into detail about how she is beaten and killed. Another example is when Aminata is laying in the bed of the medicine man ( the man who took care of her on the boat) and Hill explains how he is sleeping with another woman beside Aminata. I found that that information didn't need to be talked about because it didn't play any important part in the story. During the reading, I made some connections to other books I’ve read. For some reason, when the story talked about the boat and how they were treated, I thought of The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and how they were treated within the concentration camps. Though this story takes place way before the Holocaust, the treatment to the people they consider to be lesser, are strangely similar. 

During the scene of the battle on the boat, Fanta, having just given birth, slits her babies throat and throws it overboard. She then continues over to Sanu, another homelander who had her baby along the way, and fights Sanu taking away her baby and throwing her overboard. Sanu jumped in after her child. But, throughout this scene I was continually trying to figure out why on Earth this was necessary. Why Fanta couldn't have just passed the child that she had carried for nine months to another homelander, or why she felt the need to hurt Sanu as well. Definitely one of the most puzzling parts of the story so far.

Finally, the mental pictures I get while reading this novel are so detailed. Lawrence Hill does a great job at including everything the reader needs to know in order to create a good mental picture. The boat that they travelled on was a clear image in my head. A boat similar to a garbage dump, or a sewer. A dark crawlspace with streams of light bouncing off small spots of the cellar. I also picture the characters based on their personalities. For example, I picture Fanta as a large woman, with harsh eyes and a lips that always curl down like a hook. Aminata strikes me as a tall, well built girl. She has big eyes and an intriguing face, a beautiful face, that gives her a few advantages along the way such as special treatment on the walk to the boat, and special treatment by the medicine man while travelling on the boat, as well as respect from all of the homelanders that are travelling with her.

So far in my novel, I really enjoy it, I’m really into it and can’t wait to see where Aminatas journey goes next.