Quotations

There are many relevant quotations from the book that I could choose from however these five stand out the most to me.

First Quotation

The first quotation is, “The abolitionists may well call me their equal, but their lips do not yet say my name and their ears do not yet hear my story” (Hill 115). This quote is significant because it shows the theme of discrimination, which is displayed throughout the entire book. It is saying that although the abolitionists may try to make it appear that they view Aminata as an equal, they actually do not. It also shows Aminata’s intelligence, as she is able to see right through them. It is ironic because Aminata is far more intelligent and experienced than most of the abolitionists yet they don't even view her as an equal. This makes us as readers really become aware of the effect of racism in that time in history.

Second Quotation

Another great quote is, “One of these people will find my story and pass it along. And then, I believe, I will have lived for a reason” (Hill 118).  This shows Aminata’s character, as it shows that she believes that her sole purpose in life is to tell her story. She knows how much of an impact her story is going to have on society and therefore is aware that she needs to share her story with the world. "And my story waits like a restful beast", the title of a chapter in Book Two even goes as far as to describe her story as a beast ready to be unleashed on the world.

Third Quotation

One of my favorite quotations from the book is when Georgia says, “Your mouth is like a galloping horse. Slow down and steer, honey chile, or you will hit a tree” (Hill 155). The first sentence in this quote is a simile and it is significant because Georgia is telling Aminata that she talks too much. She is giving Aminata advice by telling her that she must be careful of what she says because if not it may get her into trouble. This quote also shows Georgia’s character as it shows that she is a wise woman. Georgia is also somewhat like a mother figure to Aminata. She teaches her things that aid in her survival.

Fourth Quotation

A good quote is where Mr. Lindo says, “ “In my faith,” he said, “it is considered a very good thing to give another person what they need to become independent, and to take care of themselves in the world." Then why, I wondered, didn’t he set me free?” (Hill 228). This quote is ironic as Lindo is saying that it is part of his religion to help people to become independent yet he won’t let Aminata be free. This quote shows that although Lindo makes himself seem better than the other slave owners, he really is not. He is hypocritical. This quote can also be connected to the quote, "Some Hebrew you are. And you say you're not a white man" (Hill 257). Aminata says this to Lindo after she learns that he has helped in the selling of her baby. This also shows Lindo's hypocrisy as he believes that he is much more reformed than other plantation owners when in reality he is just like them.

Fifth Quotation

Another interesting quote is where Colonel Baker says, “And that, wherever you go, you have earned the respect of men and women in your community. Yes? Good. You are required for service to His Majesty the King” (Hill 319). This shows that Aminata is well respected in the community and liked by everyone. It also shows that Aminata is well known within the community. This is what allowed Aminata to move her way up in the hierarchy of slavery. It aided in her survival and resulted in her finally returning to Africa. Aminata has not only earned this respect because of how skilled she is but also because of her personality. She is always friendly to people in the community and always willing to lend a helping hand. This shows us as readers that if we want to get somewhere in life then we must remember to keep a positive attitude, always help others when we can and inspire others to help themselves. We can learn a lot from Aminata!

Obstacles

From reading The Book of Negroes thus far, it is clear that Aminata faced many challenges and obstacles during her fight for freedom. In every person’s lifetime he/she will experience some from of obstacle. One particular obstacle that I have had to overcome stands out in my mind. It happened about three years ago when my number one passion was swimming. For me swimming was not just a sport but also a way of life. I trained nine times a week and worked very hard at every practice. However, there came a time in my swimming career when I no longer improved my times. I worked as hard as an ox but my results did not show for it. All my teammates were gradually getting faster than me. A year passed and my times were still not improving. I did not know why. After every swim meet I would feel disappointed and ashamed of myself. I wanted to give up. However, I knew that at some point in everyone’s lives we all fail at something. Therefore, I persevered and continued to give my best effort. My perseveration worked in my favor as eventually I began to improve my times. I went on to qualify for my country’s national swim team. This obstacle in my life taught me that no matter how difficult circumstances get to never give up. You never know what is around the corner. This is a lesson that I have keep with me in everything I do. 

The Zimbardo Prison Experiment

This experiment was conducted at Stanford University in the summer of 1971. The experiment’s aim was to investigate how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that stimulated prison life. It was carried out by a team of researchers and led by Phillip Zimbardo, a psychology professor. The experiment was an investigation into the causes of conflict between military guards and prisoners. Zimbardo created an imitation prison and selected students to play the roles of prisoners and guards for two weeks. Twenty-one male students were selected out of a group of seventy-five. The students adapted to their roles beyond Zimbardo’s expectations. The guards went so far as to subject some of the prisoners to psychological abuse. Many of the prisoners accepted the abuse, and those who attempted to prevent it were harassed by the guards. Even Zimbardo allowed the abuse to happen. As a result the experiment was stopped after only six days. The events that occurred during the Zimbardo Prison Experiment are similar to those seen in the Book of Negroes. The toubabu/slave owners treated the Africans as if they were their prisoners. They subjected the Africans to very harsh treatment. They caused physical, mental, emotional and spiritual pain. After a while, the African’s gave up and came to accept the harsh treatment and those who did not were either beaten or killed. For example, “No shackles bound their wrists or ankles, but not one of them fought or tried to run away” (Hill 125). This shows that the Africans accepted their harsh lives. They became accustomed to their way of life and therefore none of them tried to run away. 

And my story waits like a restful beast

In class today we discussed the chapter “And my story waits like a restful beast” in book two of the Book of Negroes. A question that we looked at was “How does the title of the chapter have relevance to the story of Aminata?” The title of this chapter is a smilie that compares Aminata's story to a beast. The title has relevance to her story because her story is so powerful that it can be compared to a beast. It talks about a dark time in history that has had a major effect on the world today. A beast can be described as an awful, frightening thing much like Aminata’s story. The title says that her story is waiting. This means that she knows how much it is going to impact society. She knows that the story will open people’s eyes to the horror that was the slave trade. She knows that all those who read it would never be the same again. She sees the story much like a sleeping beast who is just waiting to pounce on their prey, much like described in the title of the chapter. The title of this chapter is appropriate because it has complete relevance to the story of Aminata.