The literary theory type that gave me the most insight into The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill was the post-colonial perspective. Because slavery is such a huge idea in the novel it makes the post-colonial view quite straightforward, it reveals why everything happened the way it did. The ties between the post-colonial perspective and the events in the book were the way that women were mistreated, the lack of education depending on one’s gender or culture, and for the most part slavery. The division between the genders and races can be more understood from this point of view because of it’s time period.
Thesis: “Analyzing The Book of Negroes based upon a post-colonial perspective gives the reader insight on why the author does not put luck in Aminata’s favour, and also how she makes the best of what she is given.” My points of argument will roughly be because Aminata is an African American women and a victim of slavery she was at the bottom of the hierarchy, which from a post-colonial view she had very little individual identity but managed to bring it upon herself to learn how to read, write and teach which was nearly unheard of under her circumstances. Another point of argument will roughly be how Lindo who was Aminata’s slave owner forces Aminata to pay a portion of her earnings as a midwife, she later escapes from him and works as a midwife and teacher. To make the best of what she is given beyond herself she helps other black people learn how to read and write. My last point of argument will roughly be that when Aminata proves that she did go to hell and back by serving in the American Revolutionary War her name is put into the actual historical document of freed African American slaves called “The Book of Negroes”, despite her overall hardships she was repaid in the end and also acknowledged for her abilities to read and write and was hired to record names in the book.
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