“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
