I really enjoyed Book
of Negroes; I found that every chapter and character had relevance to the
overall themes and ideas of the novel. The last paragraph of each chapter was
always quite profound- typically worded beautifully and tapped into a deep
meaning or idea. The end of the novel, on the other hand, was quite a
disappointment for me.
"It is not such a bad bed. I have known worse. They can wake me with the news, when they come home."
These were the last words of the novel. Hill did well in showing the degradation of Aminata's mind, yet I wish these last words were more significant and impactful.
I disagree with your feelings towards the ending of The Book of Negroes. We as readers know that Aminata is worn and weak, her life long journey was extraordinarily long and busy. When I looked back to this ending, I saw that I annotated my book by saying, "solid ending." Thinking back on it, I think Hill purposely closed the book to make us wonder if Aminata was really simply resting, or if her time has come, and she was going to pass away. When I read the line, "I will cross no bridges and board no ships, but stay here on solid land and take my tea with honey and lie back on this bed of straw." (Hill 526) I begin to assume that Aminata is at peace with herself, and has no more desires to fulfill. She is quite content with dying as she has achieved her goal. I also think Hill ended following the typical story plot, which to me is quite satisfactory. As we know, each story must have a beginning, middle and end. The Book of Negroes begun with Aminata in her youth, then went to her middle age, and finally - in this ending - her old age. Thus showing a clean, and well-planned out beginning and ending.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with your idea, Aminata's mind had not been degraded. What was the goal/ motive of Aminata? Getting back home. Then where is her home? Bayo? Clearly not the place that had been burnt. Other place in Africa? Where she fled away. Thinking through Aminata’s life, she had suffered too much. In my point of view, she is a hero. In addition to her life, she made her own conclusion. “ I would like to draw a map of the places I have lived. I would put Bayo on the map, and trace in red my lone path to the sea. Blue lines would show the ocean voyages. Cartouches would decorate the margins. There would be no elephants for want of towns, but rather paintings of guineas made from the gold mines of Africa, a women balacmeing fruit on her head, another with blue pouches for medicine, a child reading, and the green hills of Sierra Leone, land of my arrivals and embarkations. (Hill 526)” It shows that Bayo is just the place her life starts. It is like other places listed in the quotation. London is different from them, it was the place she found her daughter May in London and could finally have a rest. London, where she could live well, be treated equally and had a rest, was the home for her. A hero also needs rest.
DeleteFurthermore, It gives me the similar feeling in the movie “The Rise Planet of The Apes”. At the end, when the main character arrived forest park after ape Caesar fled to the park, Caesar dropped down from the tree and told him.
“Caesar is home.”
I understand your feelings toward the end of the novel but I too think that they were effective. I find that whenever I finish a book i want to be rewarded at the end with something significant and impactful. However, I feel that what Aminata says at the end of the novel is perfect in the telling of her story. As we know from reading the book, Aminata has had a long and brutal life. It is because of this that I think the ending shows how she can finally sit back and relax, it's all over now. She isn't being forced into doing something and now she can finally do whatever she wants.
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