The Book Of Negroes Aminata Character Analysis

Novels often depict realistic situations and outlooks on life. This enables the reader to view and learn about different aspects of life through the author’s depictions. Authors expose world issues and their opinions through their novels and create stories about them. In the novel, The Book of Negroes, Lawrence Hill exposes the issue of racial discrimination through a fictional character named Aminata. The protagonist is abducted into slavery and experiences hardships, tragedies, oppression, and betrayal. She encounters the many horrors and obstacles of the world in her long journey to freedom. Aminata’s story captures the truth behind other people in terms of their treatment and judgment of the unfamiliar. Hill’s novel effectively exposes

the harm racism inflicts through the creation of a sympathetic protagonist, a historically accurate plot, and the inclusive additional characters who surprise the reader with their commitment to freedom.
The protagonist’s story receives a sympathetic response from the reader due to her upsetting experiences, thus effectively exposing the harm of racism. Sympathy is an effective device to grab the audience’s attention and empower him or her with emotions to help understand the reality of certain situations. Hill frequently uses this technique through the life story he writes for his protagonist. Aminata experiences great tragedy and suffering at a young age: “I just wanted to live through this, and have it end. Live through it, and have it end… Still I couldn’t move, trapped in my own pain and shame,” (Hill 184). Aminata is raped as a punishment for defying her master, Appleby. This demonstrates her innocence getting ripped away from her and she cannot do anything to prevent it. Due to the colour of her skin, Aminata becomes a slave that is meant to do as she is told, or suffer the consequences. The events shock the reader since Aminata’s once strong, innocent character turns into a vulnerable, defenceless young woman. It proves that something like racial discrimination can severely affect and break even the strongest people. Additionally, the enslavement of Negroes was considered to be the solution to the high demand in agricultural labour. Thousands of Africans were taken in chains across the sea annually; especially in the mid-18th century when slave trade was at its highest in America (African Slave Trade). However, the protagonist is naïve and does not fully understand the situation. This is proven when a fellow slave tries to explain to Aminata that, “Got a slave mama, then you is slave. Got a slave daddy, then you is slave. Any nigger in you at all, then you is slave as clear as day,” (Hill 153). This illustration builds a sympathetic tone for the reader as he or she envision the young girl’s childhood being shattered. Aminata does not understand how or why the ‘white men’ own her. Her African descent is supposedly undignified and conveys her to be despicable. She is meant to be a slave for the rest of her life with no say in it. Hill’s writing and use of details allows the reader to relate and understand what the character is feeling and what they are going through. Therefore, the protagonist’s innocence and vulnerability compels the reader to feel sorry for what she goes through, as well as enrages him or her about the harm that is inflicted upon her.
The plot of the novel is historically accurate, which effectively exposes the damage that racism incurs. Historical fiction brings an individual’s life to view through bringing historical events into reality for the reader. Hill’s use of detail in his writing makes the reader realize the horror of what the human race is capable of. For example, when Aminata describes her experience on the ship, she says, “Everywhere I turned, men were lying naked, chained to each other and to their sleeping boards, groaning and crying. Waste and blood streamed along the floorboards, covering my toes,” (73). This illustration perfectly describes the conditions the slaves lived in. It disgusts the reader when they learn of the lifestyle of slaves. Hill does not exaggerate or leave out any gruesome details. The slaves do in fact endure hostility and oppression by these tyrants that are their capturers. Furthermore, slave owners and traders are not the only tyrants to inflict harm on those who are coloured. Many people outside of the slave industry play a role in the mistreatment of Negroes. The mistreatment is shown when Aminata describes the white men rampaging through town, killing, beating, and raping Negroes. They tear down houses or set them on fire. They will attack anyone who resists (382). The British offered slaves freedom in exchange for their war efforts and allegiance to the Crown. Therefore, the slaves flee to a supposedly safe haven for protection and their promised freedom, but are instead met with the same hostility and resentment. The people of Nova Scotia blamed the Black loyalists, African American supporters of the British during the American Revolutionary War, for taking their jobs and retaliated in violence (Black History Canada). The ‘white men’ use violence and fear to beat the Negroes into submission. Due to their African descent, they are considered a lower specimen. Hill effectively incorporates accurate historical events which open the eyes of the reader to the truth of the cruel world of racism and the harm it inflicts.
Finally, the character’s commitment to freedom effectively shows the negative effect of racism as it surprises the reader.

A person’s rights and freedom are one of the most important things one can have. Throughout the novel, the characters all crave freedom. Each character would do anything to be free again. This is proven when an additional character, Fanta, slits her newborn son’s throat, flings another baby overboard, and attempts to jump overboard herself (Hill 102-103). Fanta would rather kill her own son and herself, than give up her freedom. This moment horrifies yet amazes many readers of the lengths someone is willing to go to in order to keep their freedom rather than be a slave. This shows how serious and frightening the situation really is. In addition, throughout the entire novel, Aminata encounters various setbacks, but she still continues her long journey to freedom. This is demonstrated when she says, “The pain of my losses never really went away. The limbs had been severed, and they would forever after be missing. But I kept going, Somehow, I just kept going,” (394). The passage represents her strong commitment to freedom. Although she endures a tremendous amount of hardships, like losing all her loved ones, she keeps striving for the freedom she desires. Most people die or become too broken inside at this point, but Aminata continues to fight for her life, to keep living, and to one day tell others her inspiring story. Freedom can single-handedly be the one most valuable thing an individual holds dearly. Thus effectively exposes the harm of racism as it motivates the characters to go to great lengths to keep their

freedom.
Overall, Hill’s arrangement of a sympathetic protagonist, plot’s historical accuracy, and character’s commitment to freedom reveals the harm of racism effectively. Immigrants and minorities were treated unfairly and isolated throughout history. The continuation of this mistreatment led to the creation of racism and discrimination (Wayne Cornelius). Hill’s narrative from a slave’s perspective emphasizes the cruelty of humanity, while intensifying an individual’s life. It brings the issue into perspective and depicts the reality of racism. Hill’s writing and creation of his character’s experiences replicates present day racial discrimination. Behind Canada’s kind-hearted façade lies the injustice and discrimination amongst people. Unfortunately, the racist ideology continues to persist in modern day society, nothing has really changed. Although there are claims of progression, humanity will never truly change as society still continues to live in the past.