For this post I am going to look at the novel, The Book of Negroes, while considering readers response theory. When beginning to read this novel I had previous knowledge of slavery and how people were taken from their homes in Africa and sold as slaves in america with no say and how they were treated with little to no respect. I live in a world where we still experience some degree of racism each day but not nearly as much as there is in the novel. I have previous knowledge of slavery and war but have never experienced it for myself so as i am reading the book I can only use the knowledge i was taught in school.
I came into this with the mind that slavery is wrong and everything that happened back then is ridiculous and should have never happened. Someone from down in southern america for example who still has the old beliefs that white men should rule the world would interpret this book completely differently and may see Aminata as an antagonist or someone deserving of the way she was treated.
As my experience with racism first hand is very limited as I come from a small town with nearly no minorities, when i move to a large city my views on this book may change. I may think that what they did is even worse and that we should still be making it up to them on this very day but right now i do not believe that. I do read this book with an open mind because of my limited life experience but if i were older I would probably have a more cement opinion on what i am reading and therefore interpreting it differently.
“I had learned that there were times when fighting was impossible, when the best thing to do was to wait and to learn.” (pg 523). I interpret this quote as Aminata being smart and making the best decision for her safety. Some may see her as being weak for not fighting at all times but i see her as a hero for knowing when to take your battles.
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