Help from the saints

The last chapter that was discussed in class was “Help from the saints”. A question that was examined during our discussion of the chapter was “What do you think of Anna Maria’s character?” To answer this question I had to read deeper into this section of the book. When I did this I noticed that every time Aminata and Anna Maria had a discussion, Anna Maria would base her opinions off the opinions of others. It seems as if she does not have a mind of her own. For example she says, “but many people more intelligent than I have argued that the slave trade saves Africans from barbarity. Are you aware of that?” This shows the reader that she is simply stating what other people have said instead of coming up with her own opinions.  Aminata can see how ignorant this woman is but she also likes the way she speaks so openly and asks for her opinions. It can be said that Anna Maria represents the mind-set of the English. For example Anna Maria believes that the whites are not stealing the Africans because they are paying for them. She doesn’t seem to realize that it is theft, regardless of if the traders are paying for the slaves or not. From reading the book I noticed that this is the English’s way of thinking. They neither have care nor knowledge about the slave trade.  
 From the discussion in class about the chapter, a second question that was asked was, “Why do you think that Falconbridge seems to be more haunted by the memories of being on the slave ship than Aminata? “  It is my belief that Falconbridge is more haunted by the memories because he is overwhelmed by the amount of guilt he feels. Falconbridge worked as a surgeon on the vessels that carried the slaves from Africa to America. He regrets working on the vessels and is extremely guilty about his participation in the slave trade. He says,“But no matter. They participate. They perpetuate the sin. I did myself. But no longer” (Hill 450). This quote basically shows the reader that Falconbridge knows how wrong slavery is and is disappointed in himself for participating in it. On the other hand, Aminata is not haunted by the memories as much because she has chosen to move on. She says, “If I spent my time hating, my emotions would have been spent long ago, and I would be nothing more than an empty cowrie shell” (Hill 452). This shows that Aminata has moved on and that she knows that she cannot keep revisiting her memories of being on the slave ship as it will wear her out. I believe that Falconbridge seems to be more haunted by the memories because he was a part of the slave trade even though he knew it was wrong. Whereas Aminata was merely a victim of the slave trade and she could do nothing about it.

Elephants for want of towns

The chapter "Elephants for want of towns" was one of the chapters discussed in class on Friday. Many symbols are seen throughout the entire chapter, however the most important symbol is elephants. Elephants are mentioned in the title of the chapter and also, in the quote from the poem by Jonathan Swift. The last line of the quote says, “Place elephants for want of towns” (Hill 413). In the maps of Africa, Aminata notices that maps show neither towns nor villages but only half naked African men and women, usually with baboons and elephants nearby. The elephants symbolize the lack of knowledge and care that toubabu have for Africa. The quote by Jonathan Swift is also seen at the beginning of the book and therefore it is clear that the author wanted readers to be thinking about it throughout the entire book. He did this because the quote perfectly describes how the toubabu feel about the Africans. They have very little care for them and have no interest in learning about them. They just use the Africans for their own personal advantage.

My children were like phantom limbs

Today in class we discussed the chapter, “My children were like phantom limbs”. Several themes were apparent throughout the chapter. The first theme that was analyzed was motherhood. Aminata becomes a mother once again and we as readers are able to see her motherly instincts begin to show. This is seen in the quote, “You need to know where it’s safe to go, and where it isn’t” (Hill 373). This was a lesson that Aminata taught May. She believes that she as May’s mother has a duty to teach her all the lessons that she can. Another theme that was discussed was betrayal. Aminata believes that she can trust the Witherspoon’s but in the end they betray her. This betrayal is seen when Aminata goes back to the Witherspoon’s to pick up May but instead finds that they and May are gone. She learns from Theo McArdle that they took May, and left on a ship for Boston. A third theme that was explored in this chapter was segregation. This segregation is seen in the riots that occurred in Birchtown and Shelburne. The blacks of Shelburne had trouble finding work, and they accepted low wages so they would be hired. This upset the disbanded soldiers who were living in Shelburne who felt that the blacks were depriving them of work. This therefore caused a separation between the whites and blacks of Shelburne. The themes explored in this chapter aid in the development of the book.