Blog Post #5

Reader Response to The book of Negroes

I believe that this novel was created to draw to the reader’s attention the hate and cruelty which has been a part of the fairly recent history of North America, and perhaps give them a call to action. I believe that Lawrence Hill absolutely had to include all of the details that make readers cringe in order to convince them of just how difficult times were for the slaves of this period. Had there not been physical, sexual and emotional abuse in the novel the audience may forget that slaves were beaten down to the point that they no longer had their own humanity. This is important for readers to understand in both a historical aspect but also in looking forward at our future. Perhaps Hill is attempting to convince us that we need to learn tolerance, acceptance and above all that when we take away someone else’s humanity we also lose our own. Additionally, I think it was extremely important that the audience was given hope occasionally in The Book of Negroes so that we could join the characters on the rollercoaster of hope and hopelessness. For example, when Aminata is hopeful about moving to Nova Scotia and her future is finally looking brighter the readers were allowed only a few fleeting moments to rejoice with her before she arrives to find that her husband never showed up in Nova Scotia (and eventually that he had perished). I think sections of the plot such as this one are important so that the audience can perhaps take a little piece of empathy with them when they put down this read.