Meaningful Quotes

“I had now written my name on a public document, and I was a person, with just as much right and liberty as the man who claimed to own me.” (Hill 274)

I think this quote represents Aminatas need for freedom, and her drive to escape. It’s hard to imagine that something so simple as writing your name on a pubic document, can mean so much to someone. For Aminata arriving in New York, was a new start, where she had the chance to escape the claim that kept her bound to Lindo, and writing her name was the spark that set her mission to freedom in motion. 

“Now I was here 30 years old and had nothing to show for it. No son. No family. No homeland. And even my beauty would soon fade.” (Hill 250)

This quote is said in New York, when Chekura returns to Aminata. With-in two minuets of seeing him, she sees her life flash in front of her eyes, all of her losses overcome her. Chekura however, senses her feeling and tells her not to be sad, and that the thought of her crescent moons made him feel close to her at night looking up at the moon. These feeling and words can never be forgotten. Often during times of trial, we see Aminata look back and reflect on her past and pick out pieces of advice, whether it is from her parents or Georgia or Chekura. This advice guides her through many hard times and allows her to prevail to the next.

“Mama is beautiful,” I said. “Mama is strong,” he said. “Beauty comes and goes. Strength, you keep forever.” “What about the old people?” “They are the strongest of all, for they have lived longer than all of us, and they have wisdom,” he said, tapping his temple” (Hill 24)

Many times in the novel we see Aminata’s beauty mentioned, whether it is by admirers or speaking herself.  Aminata’s true strength is shown many times throughout the novel, whether it is staying devoted to Chekura, keeping her head high and staying strong on her many travels, or standing up for what she believes in. Although it may be argued that her beauty has aided in her learning how to read and write and other various skills, it is her tremendous strength that has allowed her to stay alive, use her many talents, and give her the drive to keep moving forward.

“It excited me that 50 years later someone might find an ancestor in the book of negroes and say, “that was my grandmother” (Hill 331)

This quote gave Aminata hope. Writing the names of black loyalist in The Book of Negroes, gave her joy. She found happiness in helping people like herself whom had overcome their claims of slavery and were now running for their freedom. Like the quote says, she was excited that someone might look in the book one day and find a family member. All of her many skills allowed her to be sought out, to be the one to complete the task of recording the names for the many black loyalists travelling to Nova Scotia. 

“But I had chosen freedom with all it’s insecurities and nothing in the world would make me turn away from it” (Hill 352)

Aminata quotes this when she first arrives in Nova Scotia. She previously admits that she never had to think about where she would eat or sleep on her travels to St. Helena Island, Charles town, or Ney York. When she arrives she has nothing and no one to ask for assistance, this fact scares her but in her heart Aminata knows that she made the right decision choosing freedom and wouldn’t trade it for the wor

The Milgram Experiment

The Milgram Experiment was designed after World War I, to test how obedient people are to authority figures. The study tested (by fake electrical shock) showed how likely people were to commit 'crimes' based on what they were told to do, by someone whom they believed to be an authority figure. The study found that ordinary people have a natural obedience towards authority figures because of how people are raised to listen to their parents, grandparents, teachers, ext. Therefore they are more likely to commit an act against their own values when told/pressured to do so from an authority figure.
This experiment relates back to The Book of Nigroes because there are many people in the book who do what their told because someone from a higher power told them to do so. The first example we see in the text are the capturers. Are they really bad people? Why are they taking other people aways from their homes? Do they care what happens to them? The questions we may ask, could go on forever. In reality they could just be fallowing the orders they were giving, even if it goes against their own morals.  This relates to the Milgram Experiment after World War I, to test if the Nazi's were truly guilty of their crimes or wether they were forced/pressured to go against their  own values by an authority figure.

And My Story Waits Like a Restful Beast

"This is my name. This is who I am. This is how I got here. In the absence of an audience, I will write down my story so that it waits like a restful beast with lungs breathing and heart beating." Says an old Aminata Diallo, as she listens to the abolitionist's talk of her story as one of "virtue," she knows she cannot talk about the slave trade without condemning slavery. This makes the story like a 'beast' or a lion, so commonly referred to in the novel. Aminata's character uses many simile's to compare things of impact with the lion. For example, she talks about the mountains in her homeland being like a lion, then goes on to say that the slave ship is like a lion whom had already rampaged through the village and now they were being taken straight into its anus.
In this chapter Aminata is looking back on her life and introducing us to the abolitionist, talking about their views on the matter, and the gifts they bring her, and how they treat her so fragile. My favorite quote in this chapter is at the end when Aminata says, " If I live long enough to finish this story, it will out live me... Sometimes I imagine the first reader to come upon my story. Could it be a girl? Perhaps a woman. A man. An Englishman. An African. One of these people will find my story and pass it along. And then, I believe, I will have lived for a reason."  

Is the Title "Book of Negroes" Appropriate?

The title "The Book of Negroes" has been quite controversial ever since the book was published in 2007. One dutch group burned only the cover of the book, in protest against the use of the word 'negro.' The book has also been published in different names, for example in the United States the the title was changed to "Someone Knows My Name."
Chair of The Writers' Union of Canada, Greg Hollingshead, said "While we recognize the sensitivity over the use of the word 'Negro' in the books title, The Book of Negroes is a real document and Mr. Hill uses it deliberately to underscore the plight of African Americans being shipped from New York to Nova Scotia in 1783." This quote sheds light on the fact that Hill was truly using the word 'Negro' for emphasis, and not in a racially discriminatory way.
I believe that the title is appropriate, because it makes a statement, that matches the intensity of the text in the book. I think the censorship of the book was taken way out of context and that the text is very fitting to the title, for Aminita Diallos story.

'The 51-Per-Cent Minority'

Out of "In the Trenches" by Charles Yale Harrison, "The Suitcase Lady" by Christie McLaren", "The 51-Per-Cent Minority" by Doris Anderson, I found the "the 51-Per-Cent Minority" the most interesting. I believe this piece really caught the readers attention by her use of compare and contrast. In the beginning of the text Anderson made statements that caught the readers attention, for example she states, "As for black: because of the colour of your skin, you're going to be paid less then the white person next to you who is doing exactly the same job. It's tough but that's the way it is." As can be imagined this quote may send some emotions through the roof, and have listeners anticipating what she'll say next. Anderson then turns the story around and states her thesis saying, "All these discriminatory practices are being inflicted on women today in Canada as a matter of course." I believe Anderson's use of comparing these racial conflicts to woman really makes reader think. It also helps make her point, "If woman make up 51 percent of the population, why do we still make 70 cents to every mans dollar." 

Starting The Year!

This year feels like the start of an end; but with lots of exciting things happening! This year in english I'd like to achieve at least an 83% average. I'm excited to read The Book of Negroes, because learning about history and hearing peoples personal stories has always interested me in literature. As well as mysteries, non-predictable story lines, and the occasional love story.
Some of my other interests include rowing; I've rowed for the last three years however I decided to switch it up this year and audition for the fall play. I have been cast as an over the top dancer named "Yuma." I'm excited about the year ahead and look forward to a great year!