Quarter 3
Nightjohn writing project
Slavery is a problem that plagued the nation predominantly in the records from 1619 to 1865. After slave owners realized that native americans wouldn’t suffice for the jobs they needed to be done they started bringing africans over in bulk. They not only shackled innocent human beings but shipped them under inhumane conditions and then put them to work from sun up to sun down with no breaks if they stopped working they were beaten. Slaves slept on the floor with other slaves with the minimal amount of food to keep them alive. These conditions were endured for years by many. That took much mental fortitude, and physical strength. NightJohn by Gary Paulsen is a powerful novel published in the year 1993. NightJohn is about slavery specifically about a slave girl named Sarny on a plantation run by a white man named Clay Waller and his family. The story starts with Sarny as a young girl just starting small work on the plantation. A male slave named Nightjohn was brought to the plantation in poor condition. On his first night while he was still ill equipped for trade he began trading with Sarny. Sarny gave him spare tobacco in exchange for Nightjohn teaching him how to read. Reading was a forbidden skill among slaves. If found reading a slave could face a variety of severe punishments including a harsh beating or the severing of a finger or toe. Sarny then gets caught reading. Instead of punishing the young sarney Waller blamed Sarny’s maternal figure “Mammy” for teaching her how to read. Nightjohn steps forward and accepts the punishment for sarny reading. He gets two toes removed as a result. More follows and intermediates these events in the novel.In Night john garey paulsen uses diction, characterization, and imagery to convey the overall message of strength leadng to oppurtinities. This is coupled with many other literary devices allowed a smooth flow of ideas from author to reader allowing many types of connections to be made.
Gary mainly uses diction to advance his theme through Sarny the narrator. Sarny begins the book speaking very poorly not knowing much except that her mom was on another plantation,she had to help Mammy with the younger slaves, and that Waller was a bad man with a gun and a whip. She is twelve years old at the time with the inability to even count her age. She sets the scene and gives the readers some background information. Gary clearly shows her speech as that of an uneducated southerner of the time using phrases like, “ what you got” instead of what do you have. While sarney is unable to read she knows nothing but as she begins learning events occur leading to her mental liberation and opportunities for physical liberation which were foregone in order to progress the story further. Strength to overcome adversities lead to many opportunities for sarny. Gary gives Nightjohn a large amount of power as well when it comes to the advancement of his theme. Nightjohn escapes slavery and gets to the north learns how to read only to return to slavery and teach reading. Without Nightjohn’s strength sarny wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn how to read her self. The strength Nightjohn shows to withstand the pain of slavery get free learn and come back is absolutely astonishing.He sacrificed himself in order give other slaves some of the opportunity he has had. He went through the even more daunting struggles of being an escaped slave. Can you imagine knowing the paradise outside of your cell doors froliking in the meadows and smuggling a flower in for your cell mate almost unthinkable compassion. And it’s that kind of compassion that brings forth martyrs. Martyrs like the people you read about in history, inspirational internet quotes, and the likes. Martyrs like Malcom X, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, and many more. This means Nightjohn shares qualities with those who many consider to be the greatest human beings to ever live. Sarny and Mammy having the strength to put up with waller for that long lead to them having the opportunity to meet one of the greatest men to ever live.
Third quarter went pretty smoothly i enjoyed the independence when it came to finishing the projects and how you let us self manage during class time and i hope that we can finish the year strong. In quarter three i learned how to write a longer essay which was my learning goal. The most meaningful assignment had to be
