Importance of Names in Lawrences The Book of Negroes - Essay Example

Importance of s in Lawrence’s “The Book of Negroes” The Book of Negroes is a book written for written for Africa, for the harsh sugar plantations, which underwent the harsh indigo trade, going through homelessness, loss of people and death: it is a book often described as a book of slavery. Lawrence Hill provides an elaborate fictional account basing his writing on names of British loyalists and other respected African Hoteliers in South Carolina, Charleston. This book provides very rich information on human cruelty. Lawrence Hill through his writing techniques makes it very easy for our reading even as the heroine, Aminata Diallo is stolen from her small African village as a young girl and forced to cross the “big river”, while having to keep up with the harsh cruelty of travel through slave ship, being sold to sugarcane plantation owners in South Carolina and again being re-sold, while having her beloved husband on yet another plantation. Aminata’s husband risks his life and visits her quite often. While travelling to Nova Scotia, Aminata dreams of her child and her wishes of returning home to Africa one day. In her map, Aminata only sees Africa as composed of various wild animals including elephants and monkeys and women who are bare-breast. With her brave resistance, her skills in midwifery, reading and writing abilities and a steadfast desire to stay alive, Aminata finds the name of her homeland and travels there, finally making her last voyage to England, where she uses her life story as a sign to empower people against slave trade. In this book, Lawrence Hill uses the title of his book “Someone Knows my name” to create a long lasting impression in the minds of his audience on the effects of slavery and how young and brave female persons resisted oppression. The story underscores a story of a female slave called Aminata and her painful journey through life and how she undergoes a series of name changing identifying circumstances just to stay afloat during the slavery days. In this book, Lawrence emphasizes that names are truly the beginning of a life’s long journey, it is what a person refers you by and it is applicable to someone’s life in very many different ways. Although names can also be common and bear significance to a certain aspect of life, the name in which Lawrence has chosen in his novel of places, people, objects and cultures bear a very practical relevance as regards to how a person perceives the other during an initial encounter. Names have a contributing factor on a person’s character and personality. The importance of names has been displayed in the novel by the various characters and personality characteristics that the author has provided to the characters. More importantly, Aminata comes out as a strong character in displaying the significance of names towards resistance against oppression. At the beginning of the story, the author describes how Aminata was captured into slave trade only to part of the resistance at later years joining the Black loyalists in their final journey to Nova Scotia, then a decade later she is still one of the thousands of Black loyalists in the Black-Africa movement who made their way into Sierra Leone. Initially, as a very young girl she rejects her father’s intentions to teach her in reading Koran. Later in her captivity, the spirit of determination is reinforced in her by observing Fanta’s rebellious behaviors, who acts as a yard stick for her determination and foundation for future involvements in resistance. Her spirit of resistance grows stronger as Bilton also convinces her in organizing shipboard revolution. Although the revolt fails and many people are killed, Amanita and others survive this revolution by sheer force of will. At the same time, the doctor attempts to rape Amanita during Atlantic crossing, but she resists and able to discourage him by threatening him using spiritual retribution saying, “Don’t do that, or my father will return from the dead to strike you down” (74). However, while new in America, Aminata is raped by her own first father, Robin Appleby, in South Carolina, who is also motivated by economic lust to adjust the number of his slaves and by lust for power to display his denomination, “to own all of me” (161). While justifying his appalling actions to himself, he concludes his assault actions by calling her “African whore” (161). Though it should be realized that Aminata was still very young thus unable to resist, however, she is able to thwart his efforts at procreation by agreeing an abortion from a sister slave herbalist. It can also be seen that the name Aminata has a very important significance is as far as expression of rebellion is concerned. Her name is derived from an Arabic name “Amina” which when translated it implies “feeling secure and safe”. However, the irony of this is that it foreshadows and contradicts the happenings in the book, she further expounds this kind of irony by saying “I believe that I would be safe,” hoping that at the end she will be safe and secure. In display of her resistance to oppression, Aminata says that she cannot be labeled as either a slave or an African, and thus she says that: “I belong to nobody, and I am not an African. I am a Bamana and a Fula. I am from Bayo near Segu. I am not what you say” (122). In this context, the author suggests that Aminata’s rejection of an African identity is anchored in her view of the world which does not seclude other parts of the Continent or being only composed of “Africa” alone, in a White man’s perception. Further, she does not reject her being associated with the name “Africa” because she is insulted by it nor annoyed by it, but rather it is because she has never heard the word in her life before. Aminata is born in Bayo and has not walked there in her entire life, in as much as she knows who her real parents are and their ethnic origin, Africa to her is a foreign word, and it is other name callings and descriptions other people from distant nations use to define African people. In this context, Aminata is projecting resistance in a way to declare independence. It is a rejection of being subjected to colonization and slavery and an assertion of her as the speaking subject. The most significant act of resistance is through her literacy. Slaves are not allowed to learn, but she displays determination and a continuous will to get out of oppression by opting to go to school by her Jewish master, who in contrast also wants to make a living out of her literacy. In order to counteract this act of oppression, she eventually escapes. Lawrence also uses the title of the book to register a form of resistance by the slaves. Aminata uses her education to register other slaves in a ledger from where the book derives its book’s title “The Book of Negroes.” Although she is given strict instructions to simply list the names, she creates a unique and creative way to capture other information of the slaves which she uses to her advantage; to this she uses to advance her slavery experiences and to advance her individuality, maintaining realities that however remain untold in reshaping her historical accounts. Given Aminata’s character as a resister, it is not a surprise that she forms part of the Black Loyalists movement in Nova Scotia in order to further advance their resistance ideologies. She does not just end her resistance ideologies at the slavery camp alone, but this becomes a life component on her life. Lawrence Hill also displays resistance through the use of names through Aminata’s husband, Chekura. Translated from Arab, Chekura means a “solid rock”. The importance that the author attaches to this name when contextually analyzed implies a solid and firm character who can withstand the forces of oppressions and colonization. Despite the hard living conditions in the slavery camps, Chekura is able to withstand these conditions. At the same time, Chekura’s presence in the novel provides a solid foundation on which Aminata gets her inspiration and strength. Despite not being allowed to visit each other, Chekura resists this by visiting Aminata. By this, he demonstrates his willingness to go beyond the boundaries. He was her solid rock and held firm for her identity. Chekura also repeatedly says Aminata’s name over and again, to express his full support for her, and such Aminata concurs, “He repeated my name over and over, and then added, ‘I must hear you say it, say my name.” “Chekura,” I said, “Someone knows my name. Seeing you make me want to live” (66). On other instances, Aminata displays resistance by refusing to subscribe to propaganda media publications and thus insists that she has to tell her story in her own way, “My story is my story and will be published by the one who lets my words stand” (469) Aminata’s portrayal of a determination to survive amidst many, who perish, of acts of violence, and also of friends made and lost, family and love, evokes a very deep emotions ranging from despair to sadness. Through her personality and choice of names of other characters in the novel, Hill creates a captivating life story of how people can go beyond social delimitations in becoming voices of change in their societies. The importance of names as brought out by Hill illustrates what is not known or one that can be immediately seen. The book’s other title is “Someone knows my name” perhaps an attempt by Hill to introduce some form of metaphorical significance with regards to Chekura and Aminata, and how he knows her name, against their slavery limits that do not permit slaves communicating to each other or knowing each other’s names. The significance of this book’s title can also be shown in very many different ways, and the author’s choice of the names undoubtedly offers a good ground in how names can be used as a tool of liberty. Together with many factual and historical strands, Hill brings into the readers minds a range of personalities that accurately fit into the timeline. Together, his choices of names are able to transform a wide range of views in human lifestyle, suffering, fortitude and triumph. Rich in its authenticity and choice of tone, Hill succeeds in creating the sole need for humans in “feeling safe and secure” and “a grand deli” (469). Work cited Hill, Lawrence. The Book of Negroes. Black Swan: NY, 2010.Print Read More