The Book Of Negroes-Third Analysis

The latest part of the book that I read is up to page three hundred and eighteen. Throughout the book, innumerous immoralities, discrepancies, and human violations have been presented. I think though, that the biggest discrepancy that stood out to me as an issue in this book is the lack of regard for human life for people different from the leaders of the colonial world, embodied in the slave trade.

There was no need to keep a promise, respect, or even listen to someone who was a slave. There were no rules on fair treatment or wages for slaves. This sense of self-entitlement and greed that drove this mistreatment of people, is a major issue within the book. However, a question arose from this: what made the European settlers believe they were so superior? What made them feel they were on the "moral high ground?" So, the main issue in my book that I am looking into is: how people can justify evil in their own actions.

To search into these issues deeper, I found some references to Carl Von Linnaeus, who first began anthropology in the mid eighteenth century. He began to class all people based on appearances, and ascribed personalities to the appearances as well. For example, one of Linnaeus’ writings states: "Homo Europaeus as white, fickle, sanguine, blue-eyed, gentle and governed by laws...Homo After as black, phlegmatic, cunning, lazy, lustful, careless, and governed by caprice." (qtd. in NALIS 3) This is an early example of racial discrimination, but is also one of the reasons that Europeans believed that they were better than the Africans. They needed economy, and cheap work, and according to their experts, the Africans needed saving from themselves. This was their method of justification, and it isn't uncommon. Throughout history, every country or person who has committed an immoral act has had some sort of justification for it in their own minds.

The problem described above was shown several times within The Book Of Negroes. It was shown in the people running the slave trade, who believed they were providing a service to rich Americans, and saving the Africans in the process by converting them to Christianity. It was shown in those who believed that Aminata couldn’t do anything because she was both a woman and an African American, “The man with the sunburn was astonished to find himself checkmated and enraged to see Lindo turn the guineas over to me” (Hill 243). It was shown in the discrimination that was apparent throughout the whole book.

The dictionary describes this under self-justification: “the act or an instance of making excuses for oneself” (Merriam-Webster). This is a major problem in both today’s society and back in the seventeen hundreds, and was presented mainly in the third portion, dealing with Meena’s escape to freedom from her slave owner.

“The Slave Trade: How and Why It Started.” National Library and Information System Authority. n.p., n.d. Web. April 17 2015. Retrieved from http://www.nalis.gov.tt/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=7eYHyaW4IAY=

“Self Justification” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-justification

Hill, Lawrence. The Book Of Negroes. Toronto: HarperCollins, 2007. Print.

The Book Of Negroes-Second Analysis

           After delving further into “The Book of Negroes,” I have begun to analyze it using archetypal literary theory. It has made some new thoughts and ideas abundantly clear. The most often used setting of literature is the naïve youth or hero journeying from inexperience to maturity and knowledge, with the help of other common figures, and some symbolism to draw parallels to realism.

            This book has exhibited many of these main components of archetypal criticism. For example, the main character, Aminata began as a sheltered, happy little girl. As the novel progresses though, we see her character become more mature and experienced through the hardships she had to endure. There is also some symbolism in her trip walking in the coffle and travelling on the ship. It is symbolizing not only her journey to a new land, but also her inner journey of growth as she learns to leave her deceased parents and old ideals behind. A symbolic image of this is: “Georgia made me repeat it, but the best she could do was to say ‘Meena.’ In this new land, I had a different name…A new name for the second life of a girl who survived” (Hill 130). Once she reaches America, she tries to fit in, even occasionally eating pork, which is forbidden in her religion. This represents letting go of some of her old ideals, but also the metaphorical ending of a journey that is so commonly used in archetypal literature.

            The next portion of the book consists of the “battle.” Having to perform some feat or fight the monsters and demons is a common part of literature. Aminata having to deal with a cruel slave owner who beats and harasses her is really her struggle, and the author embellishes this through the descriptive and symbolic language. There is also the distinct feeling of good verses evil, which is a very common literary technique. You never see any good traits displayed in Aminata’s master, Robinson Appleby, yet you never see many bad traits displayed in Aminata either. It is easy to tell which of the characters represents who is right and who isn’t.

            I believe that since most archetypal literature have a pattern of naivety, then a journey of growth, a battle, and then a return, that Aminata may go back to her homeland some day, thus completing the typical plotline.

            However, not only the plot was described by archetype. Some of the characters were as well. I found Fanta to be an interesting character, because at times she acts like a mother figure to Aminata, yet she also kills another woman’s baby. It is hard to tell what she is going through, and her actions are unpredictable. Yet she is unmistakably the mother figure in this literature, which is later handed over to Georgia, a fellow slave on the plantation Aminata is taken to.

            The character that is obviously the villain is Robinson Appleby, which is proven time and time again, as he harasses, beats, and even kidnaps Aminata’s baby to sell him, “Georgia said ‘He’s long gone. Master Apbee done sold him good'.” (Hill 188). In contrast, Solomon Lindo, the man who buys Aminata from Appleby, becomes the mentor to the main character, teaching her to bargain, read and write, and speak proper English.

            Overall, the book has so far followed a lot of the typical archetypal literature pattern, with descriptive imagery and symbolism used throughout.

First Impressions: The Book Of Negroes

            I have started reading The Book of Negroes, by Lawrence Hill, and finished the first part, (Book One). So far, it centers around an old woman who lives in England, who is re-living her tumultuous past throughout the book, which is interspersed with her memories. Her name is Aminata Diallo, although it was later changed to Meena Dee, after she was forced into slavery. Her story starts with a seemingly idyllic life in Bayo, (Africa), when she is approximately eleven years old. However, nothing can be perfect, as demonstrated in the metaphor: “Pink is the taken as the colour of innocence…but as it spills across the water... do not fall into its pretty path” (Hill 7).

            One day, she and her mother are captured by slave traders, and her father is later shown to be captured as well. Her parents both try to fight and escape, and in doing so, lose their lives. Aminata is then placed alone in a coffle, (people attached by chains),  with only two others that she knows, Fomba and Fanta. She later makes friends with a boy who is aiding the captors, named Chekura. She learns how to survive by using her talents taught by her mother as a midwife, and through her knowledge of several languages. The portion ends with all the captives being loaded into a vessel and sailing for America.

            Some interesting characters that I found within the novel were Fomba and Fanta. Their names are very similar, but their personalities are complete opposites. Fomba is very innocent and has almost no worldly knowledge, even though he is middle aged. Fanta is selfish and believes herself to be superior to others, proven by: “Fanta told the others to ignore him…Fanta mistreated the woloso” (Hill 18). Yet they both suffer because of their dispositions after being captured. This demonstrates the craftiness needed to adapt and survive as a slave. You needed to be smart, to adjust, but not too smart, or else the captors would worry that you could start a mutiny. These two characters effectively demonstrated this need for subservience, yet also some intelligence to be able to survive; there is also some slight irony due to the fact of the similarity presented in the names.

            Another literary device that interested me throughout the novel was the author’s tone of acceptance. Aminata grew so used to the terrible treatment she received that she simply seemed to stop caring as much throughout the book. It is an interesting progression, as she was shown becoming extremely upset when she is caught playing with another person’s bucket at the beginning of the novel, “ 'It’s not for you to touch'…I ducked and ran out of her home, knowing she would not follow” (Hill 19). Yet later, she never flinches when she watches a friend get whipped. This development doesn’t seem to be a positive or negative advancement of her character, but one of necessity, which is very sad.

            Throughout the novel, I tried to connect to today’s standards verses the old standards demonstrated in the book. It is extremely difficult, because today’s rules and ideals about equality are so different than those. It is almost impossible to imagine a time when you could beat or kill a person simply because they are different from you.

            This book reminded me of another book I read a few years ago, called A Desperate Road to Freedom, by Karleen Bradford. It also dealt with the slave trade, only it focused more on the slaves’ escape into Canada. I found this interesting, because it tied something I am familiar with to an unfamiliar subject for me. I wondered whether it is possible that later in the novel, an escape may be made to the northern states or even Canada.