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