Would 'The Book of Negroes' be a Good Book on a Grade 8 Reading List?

Hi,
Today, I will be discussing whether 'The Book of Negroes' would be a good book for a grade 8 reading list. I think that it would be more suitable on a Grade 11 or 12 reading list, since there is a considerable amount of disturbing and 'inappropriate' content. This content is necessary for the book to have the right impact on the reader. However, some younger readers may feel offended by it, or would possibly not be able to take it seriously and maturely. I think that it would be more enjoyable for girls, as opposed to boys, mainly because the main character is a girl, and it does not contain the amount of violence that many boys of this age seem to enjoy; it is more about a woman's emotional journey throughout the horrible circumstances that she is in.

This is, of course, just my opinion.

Thanks for reading!!
STzivanovsky

Discussion Questions- My Answers

Hi!
Right now, I am going to be answering some discussion questions that I found online. They were at this site...http://www.wwnorton.com/rgguides/someoneknowsmynamergg.htm

1. What is your opinion about Hill's suggestion that Aminata's very youthfulness at the time of her abduction enables her emotional survival, even as some of the adults in her world show signs of crumbling?

I feel that Aminata's youthfulness had a profound impact on her emotional survival. The fact that she was so young meant that she was more determined than many of the older people to survive, so that she could get back to her homeland. She had also, due to her young age, not seen as much cruelty as many older people, and this mean that she was more hopeful than they.

2. Aminata longs for her home. What is the meaning of home in the novel, and how does the meaning change as the novel progresses?

Throughout the beginning of the novel, home is taken to mean Bayo, Aminata's village in Africa. However, as the novel progresses, and Aminata moves back to Africa, and comes to realize how different it is, she does not necessarily know where home is. Apart from in her village, Bayo, Aminata never truly feels at home anywhere.

3. Aminata struggles to learn and master all sorts of systems of communicating in the new world: black English, white English, and Gullah, as well as understanding the uses of European money and maps. How do her various coping mechanisms shed light on her character?

Aminata's ability to learn and adapt very quickly has a large impact on her character. If Aminata was not able to learn to read, her chances of survival at various points would be compromised considerably. In addition, this ability demonstrates how intelligent Aminata was. Many other characters have far more difficulty learning these things. Also, in the book, Aminata is able to, due to these abilities, teach others to read. This ability enables her to demonstrate her giving nature.

Thanks for reading!
STzivanovsky

Elephants for Want of Towns- A Quote from 'The Book of Negroes'

Hi!
Today, for English class, I am going to write about a memorable quote from 'The Book of Negroes.'

'So geographers, in Afric-maps,
With savage-pictures fill their gaps'
And o'er unhabitable downs
Place elephants for want of towns'
- Page 368

Aminata reads this quote when she is at the Governor's house for dinner, and is looking through maps. She finds a piece of paper on which this poem is written. It says that it was 'Copied from On Poetry: A Rhapsody, by Jonathan Swift, 1733.' This quote is of particular significance, because it encapsulates Aminata's frustration with the general lack of knowledge about Africa, and the people who live there. She is frustrated with how people fail to understand the true nature of her beautiful home, and simply fill the maps of Africa with elephants and baboons.


This quote is important because it really emphasizes the lack of knowledge about Africa at the time. This would be incredibly frustrating for Aminata, since people had bizarre misconceptions about her homeland, and therefore about her as well. Many people truly believed that Africa was a terrible place with elephants and monkeys everywhere, whereas Aminata knew how beautiful a place it truly was.

Thanks for reading!
STzivanovsky

Lawrence Hill- The Author of The Book of Negroes

Hi! Today, for English class, I will be writing about Lawrence Hill, who is the author of The Book of Negroes. I used the website 'lawrencehill.com' as a reference.

Lawrence Hill is a very well-known and admired author. He was born and raised in Canada. He speaks French and Spanish, as well as English, and has lived across Canada, as well as in Baltimore, Spain and France. He used to be a reporter for the Globe and Mail. He has also been to countries in Africa, including Niger, Cameroon and Mali, as a volunteer for 'Canadian Crossroads International.' He currently lives in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, which, by chance, is where a bunch of my friends live. 'The Book of Negroes' was his third book. One thing that I learned, while reading his website, was that 'The Book of Negroes' was published under the title 'Someone Knows My Name' in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. I actually got the book from my Canadian friend (from Burlington), so it is under the Canadian title.

Thanks for reading!

STzivanovsky

A Character Study of Aminata Diallo

Today, for my English class, I will be discussing Aminata. Aminata (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable) is an incredibly strong character. From a young age, she is very capable, and demonstrates this in her incredible midwiving skills. She continues to maintain a clear head throughout her journey over to America. Despite her terribly upsetting surroundings, she manages to be calm and thus manages to survive, although others were not as fortunate. Over the course of her time at the indigo plantation, with the aid of Georgia's strength, she is able to maintain her dignity, and survive all hardships laid out for her. At Solomon Lindo's home, she is not under as much physical stress, but is still treated with significant disrespect. She manages to put this out of her mind, and learn arithmetic and handwriting. We can thus see how, throughout the first half of the book, Aminata is a strong, level-headed, and incredibly brave character.

STzivanovsky

Welcome to my Blog!!

Hi,
Welcome! This is my blog. I will be writing about the Book of Negroes, by Lawrence Hill, for my English class. Enjoy!

STzivanovsky