Overcoming Struggles as a Slave
Aminata faced many struggles throughout the novel “The Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill, in which she overcame them, thus shaping her into a wise and strong person by the end of the book. She adapted to many drastic and immediate changes throughout her journey which includes her witnessing her village being destroyed, the voyage on the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to North America, and accepting the fact that she was a slave and overcoming it.
Aminata was born in Bayo in Africa; she was raised by two loving parents and had many friends such as Fomba and Chekura, who were with Aminata for some parts of her story. Aminata learnt many things from her parents which contributed to her survival in the new world. Her mom’s teachings in childbirth aided Aminata and helped make an effect in her life. “My mother taught me how to reach inside a woman- after coating my hand with warm oil and touch in the right spot to tell if the door was suitably wide”(Hill 23). Aminata’s father educated her as well as they had private lessons together on how to pray in Arabic. The simple life of Aminata came to a short end when her village was destroyed and seeing her people kidnapped and murdered by men, who had the “same faces like hers, but with no facial carvings” (23). Aminata even witnessed her mother and father being killed, “I saw the blood in the moonlight, angry and dark and spilling fast” (38). Aminata had no choice to escape from the kidnapping and was placed in a coffle led by many guards. During this time, Aminata met Chekura who turned out to be her husband later on in the book. Along the journey, Aminata developed privileges through Chekura so that she can be free from the coffle. However, privileges like those did not mean that she was free to go. Eventually, her coffle reached the port of Africa and was soon to be shipped away to America. This was a very devastating time for Aminata but this event was the first of many struggles she had to go through in order to survive.
Aminata was born in Bayo in Africa; she was raised by two loving parents and had many friends such as Fomba and Chekura, who were with Aminata for some parts of her story. Aminata learnt many things from her parents which contributed to her survival in the new world. Her mom’s teachings in childbirth aided Aminata and helped make an effect in her life. “My mother taught me how to reach inside a woman- after coating my hand with warm oil and touch in the right spot to tell if the door was suitably wide”(Hill 23). Aminata’s father educated her as well as they had private lessons together on how to pray in Arabic. The simple life of Aminata came to a short end when her village was destroyed and seeing her people kidnapped and murdered by men, who had the “same faces like hers, but with no facial carvings” (23). Aminata even witnessed her mother and father being killed, “I saw the blood in the moonlight, angry and dark and spilling fast” (38). Aminata had no choice to escape from the kidnapping and was placed in a coffle led by many guards. During this time, Aminata met Chekura who turned out to be her husband later on in the book. Along the journey, Aminata developed privileges through Chekura so that she can be free from the coffle. However, privileges like those did not mean that she was free to go. Eventually, her coffle reached the port of Africa and was soon to be shipped away to America. This was a very devastating time for Aminata but this event was the first of many struggles she had to go through in order to survive.