ISP Blog Post #2 : Archetypal Literary Criticism

I chose to start by looking at my novel with a archetypal literary criticism. It is clear that in The Book of Negroes there are many aspects that were created based off previous archetypes. One that stood out very clearly to me was the way the protagonist moved from innocence to experience. I have not even completed the book and already there is a clear change in Aminata. When we first meet her she is just a child, playing in her village and getting into trouble. Her father gives her a shoulder ride and "[she] laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully..." (25). When you read this part of the story she seems like a very average little girl that is playing with her father. We soon find out that Aminata has much more experience then you would expect for a young girl. She helps her mother deliver babies on a regular basis, which is something that takes a large amount of maturity. Not long after we read the part about her playing with her father,  she goes to a delivery with her mother (27). This is when it starts to become clear that Aminata is very mature and advanced for her age. On the way back from this delivery is when one of the major turning points of the book occurs. "From behind a grove of trees stepped four men with massive arms and powerful legs." (29), these men attacked Aminata, her mother, and the rest of her village. During the attack her parents were killed and she was taken away with another group of people. This group of people was being led to a boat that would take them to another land. During the trek to the boat you would expect Aminata to be a mess, but she controls her emotions and uses her wits to create a better situation for herself. "I wondered what my ba and fa would tell me to do. Keep walking! That was all I could imagine. Don't fall." (34), any other child in this situation would be completely lost, but she thinks of what her parents would tell her to do, which was a very intelligent thing to do. Aminata's intelligence is even further proven and developed while she is on the boat. Dispite all of the fear she must have been feeling, when she was asked "And you speak his language too?" (68) without hesitation she says yes knowing it will make her more valuable, since she can translate for people. This was a great move by her because it ended up getting her more food and a better place to stay on the boat, which most likely saved her life. Eventually, after a large amount of struggle and travelling Aminata, still only age 12 at this time, arrived at the Robinson Appleby's indigo plantation (141). At the plantation Aminata meets Georgia. Georgia takes Aminata in like a daughter and teachers her everything she knows. By learning from Georgia's experiences Aminata is able to better herself and keep herself safe at the plantation. She knows that she must work hard and follow the rules to avoid getting in trouble. I am sure that Aminata has a lot more growing to do as a character in this novel. It is already clear how much she has changed in such a short amount of time. She has gone from a sweet little girl, to a young women that can deliver babies and make smart decisions for herself. It is clear that this author has followed the fundamental plot archetype of the protagonist moving from innocence to experience.

Work Cited

 Hill, Lawrence. The Book of Negroes. Toronto: Harper Collins, 2007. Print. 

First Impressions: The Book of Negroes

I have thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this book. This novel was suggested to me by a previous teacher, she mentioned that it was a fast paced book with one exciting event after another. I started reading the book with these expectations and I have not been disappointed. This book starts out in a very interesting way. The first chapter is written as if the main character (Aminata) is speaking directly to the reader, explaining where she is now, before she tells her story. I did wonder at first, why the author chose to start his novel with the protagonist later on in life speaking towards the audience, instead of starting at the beginning of her story. I now realize that by doing this, it allowed the reader to create a stronger connection with the character. It was almost as if she were talking directly to us. The author does a great job at being very descriptive which allows the reader to clearly picture what he is describing. One image that has stuck in my mind is the trail of dead bodies in the water following behind the boat. This vivid image helps reinforce the message that the lives of the slaves were not valued. The relationship between Georgia and Aminata is very interesting to me. To me it seems very much like a mother and daughter relationship. The way Georgia acts often leads me to wonder how she has gained so much respect from the "toubabu"; it is almost as if they fear her. I have a feeling that since she is so close to Aminata something bad will happen to her, just as it has to everyone else she loved. The topic of slavery is not something that I have extensive knowledge about. I think my lack in prior knowledge has allowed me to read this book with very little bias and conflicting ideas. Something else I wondered is how did Lawrence Hill (author) become so passionate about this topic, as he would not of experienced it personally. The way he writes makes it seem like he knows the pain that these people have endured. While looking into this I discovered that his parents were deeply involved with human rights issues, which is how he got interested in this topic. Although this book was written almost 10 years ago it is still relevant, because it explores the topic of slavery. It is a well written book that grasps the reader's attention. Reading this book has made me realize that I need to start paying even more attention to the social issues in the world around me. I did not know much about slavery before and this book has made an impression on me. When I am reading a book that I am very interested in, I don't often take breaks to think about what I have read and ask questions, but while reading this book I have started to think about what I am reading.