Synopsis
August 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized |
Kunta Kinte and Fiddler
In Episode Two, life gets even harder for Kunta Kinte.
The slaves on the slave ship attempt a revolt that nearly succeeds, but is crushed. About a quarter of the slaves are killed, including The Wrestler.
The ship eventually reaches America, where the slaves are turned over to slave dealers who prepare them to be sold, then put them up for auction. Kunta Kinte, Fanta and the others are all sold like animals. White spectators stand around and make dirty jokes about them.
Kunta Kinte is sold to John Reynolds, a plantation owner from Virginia. Another slave, Fiddler, is given the responsibility of teaching Toby (Kunta Kinte’s new name) how to speak English and how to be a good slave.
Kunta Kinte/Toby swears that he will never give in or stop fighting. He manages to escape for a day or so, but is caught and brought back to the plantation, where he is beaten almost to death. He only saves his life by answering to his new name.
At the end of the episode, Fiddler assures Toby that it doesn’t matter what a bunch of white people call him, he knows who he is. It is a very sad and proud moment.
Note: Remember to post your blogpost as a comment on this page, not on the instruction page. Make sure you include your Block, your first name and last initial only, and the name of the character you are blogging as.
Good luck.
- Mr. Fladd
Jason M.
Block A
Man looking to buy a slave
12/12/09
Hummmm which to chose? The female looks fairly healthy, minimal bench rub, that’s a good thing means she won’t cause much trouble. But I’m looking for a buck, one that looks strong enough to pull a plow maybe. Then again I don’t quite have enough harvesters so the female would be good. Ahhhh I missed my chance just got to wealthy for my blood, maybe there will be another one, I mean the auctions are just getting started. Hummmm, here’s a buck, looks strong enough, ah ha! They covered part of his back with tar must be a troublemaker. Though I could use him to my advantage, if he makes too much trouble I can just whip him in front of all the others and none of them will think of crossing me. Haven’t been using my whip very often but oh well. I see master Reynolds is bidding on this one, now there is no way that I’m getting him. Well looks like that’s it for slaves. Would have been nice to have gotten that one. Eh? What’s this? Looks like the boy is trying to escape. Ha ha ha! Those stupid men if you charge you most likely won’t get anywhere. But if you mob… ha well looks lie that’s that fiddler’s got him, he’s in chains, and he seem quite rebellious. I’ll give him about three, four weeks tops before he escapes. But that’s not very possible, what will he do smash the chains with a rock? Maybe help find an anvil and blacksmithing hammer but I don’t think Master Reynolds does blacksmithing just farming. Well he’s not my problem…
[Congratulations, Jason! A good blog post and the first one, to boot! Yay, you! - Mr. Fladd]
Submitted on 2009/12/12 at 12:13pm
Hagen D. [Moved from the Instructions Page. Last name removed]
I have a slave watching Kunta Kinta being brought back from trying to escape. I choose fiddler because he showed the most emotion.
One minute I was happy as a pig in crap, the next thing I saw was kunta with the chains in his hand, broken walked over slowly and hit him and to ld he to go. He wanted me to come. I said no I am too old and it’s too cold. I knew that he had a very little chance and it was better if I didn’t go. He was sad he wanted me to go. I pushed him toward the door. Over the night it snowed this was well should have been Kuntas first day in the snow I had wanted to see what he thought of it. Then later that morning one of the village girls came running up to me. She said he was caught. I saw him coming up behind the search horses slipping sliding and falling in the muddy snow. I went to the master’s house. Thinking I could get a second chance and kunta wouldn’t get whipped. The master was reading one of his books. He said that I failed him and there had to be a consequence and that Mr. Aims was to be in charge of Kunta from now on. From where I was talking to master Rentals I could hear kunta being whipped. I walked outside. Most of the people in the little village were there watching most looked sad or disturbed. Mr Aims ask kunta what his name was he did not answer. So they hit him again and again then asked him his name again. I think me and everyone else in the crowd were thinking the same thing, just say what he wants. Kunta said his name was kunta so they kept hitting him. I said it aloud this time god help that kid there going to whip him to death. He said his new name his back was whip raw and all red. Mr. Aims came up to him and told him to say it louder. The crowd looked happy but scared or disappointed. He was dropped in the mud on his raw back I thought that it must hurt. I went over to him and put water on him with him lying on my leg, I don’t know if he was even conscious. I told him that it didn’t matter what the white man called him he knew who he was he was Kunta Kinta.
[Hagen, there is some pretty good writing here, but you need to put more attention into details. Please be sure that you post your blog assignment on the right blog and please don't post your last name. Also, you need to proof-read your essay carefully before posting it; there are a few mistakes that detract from your excellent writing. I want people to give story-telling this good the respect it deserves, without being distracted by minor mistakes. - Mr. Fladd]
Morgan F.
Block A
Auctioneer
12/13/09
I don’t understand why they fight us so much? We are helping them! Don’t the understand that or are they that stupid? Most animals listen better than most of theses ni**er here. I’m helping them by finding them some good owners who will give them a job. Those owners will treat the ni**er the way they need to be. With discipline they will turn into some good hard working ni**ers. The more ni**ers I sell the more money I make to take back home to my family. I wonder why these damn ni**ers don’t get an education for that cannibal country they come from? Ni**ers are too dumb to learn that’s why they are so hard to train. These imported ni**ers are as useless as a pregnant mare in her last months of pregnancy. Because they know nothing .They are harder to train than any farm animal I know of. The men in this country love them ni**er wenches .As long as those sailors didn’t hurt them or damage them. The ni**er wenches sell a hole lot faster than the male ni**ers. I do wonder why that happens the male ni**ers work a hole lot better than the wenches but they are harder to tame. Why does the doctor put that tar on the bench rubs it is noticeable when the ni**ers are being checked over. Why am I asking all these questions to myself? I’m still talking to myself! I really need to go home and sleep I’m way to tired.
“SOMEONE GET A NI**ER TO GRAB MY HORSE DAMN IT!”I yelled.
[Wow. This is really good!. I like how you decided that the auctioneer would assume that any failure to understand each other was the slaves' fault. Keep it up - Mr. Fladd]
Character – James is a slave who whips Kunta Kinte
Episode 2
GriffinK – Block C
James is a slave who lives on John Reynolds Farm. John Reynolds has won Kunta Kinte at a slave auction. John Reynolds gives Kunta Kinte to Fiddler to be trained by his birthday.
One evening just before John Reynolds birthday, Kunta Kinte runs away from the farm. The next morning after the dogs were sent out to search for Kunta Kinte he is found. Kunta Kinte is brought back to the farm. Ames, who works for John Reynolds is now in charge of Kunta Kinte. Ames instructs James to grease the whip since it is dry and he tells some other slaves to tie Kunta Kinte up. Kunta Kinte is tied up with his arms over his head.
Ames tries to get Kunta Kinte to say his new name Toby but he refuses. Ames then gives James a signal to whip Kunta Kinte this goes on several times since Kunta Kinte refuses say his new name Toby and he does not listen.
James is very strong and he does what he is told to do. He uses a bullwhip and knows what he is doing with the whip. If James did not know how to use the whip then he could have severely hurt Kunta Kinte. James does not show any emotion but I don’t think he likes doing this to another slave.
[This is pretty good. Next time, please try to write as if you are the character. - Mr. Fladd]
Stephanie Z.
Block B
Slave selling crab cakes at the auction
I hate these auctions. It makes me want to cry just watching it, how they have to inspect everyone to see if they are worth the money. It’s like we are not even humans – just machines used to do hard labor. I can’t stand it! It makes me want to drop these crab cakes and run away. However, they would surely find me, and I would be punished harshly. If I did get away, where would I go? There is nowhere to hide in this white man country. I wouldn’t know how to get back to my real home, either. It is like my home has been tossed away, only to be found again by the white men, to capture more blacks to put into misery. If only the white men could see everything from our point of view, then they might understand that we want to be treated like equal humans, instead of pieces of clay. If only they could see that we have feelings, too, and love for our families.
Why us? What do they have against us? What did we ever do to them? It is not fair to imprison us and have us do the white men’s work, it’s just not fair! Everything I am wearing now was made by a black slave. Even these crab cakes I am selling for the benefit of the white men were made by slaves! How can these white people treat us like this, and think it is okay? Sometimes I question if I am still in the same world, if I still look at the same sky, the same sun, and the same moon as my family back at home. I wish with all my heart that they will not ever have to endure what I am going through now – the emotional and physical pain, endless hours of hard labor with no rewards or breaks. Everything about this is dreadful, including the ship ride and auction, which brings me back to where I am. As I walk around, trying to sell crab cakes, I can’t help but notice each black getting sold into slavery, as well as a lifetime of pain and suffering. As some new slaves are led past me, I make eye contact with each of them for just a second. They all looked scared, helpless, and angry, and I know why. I still have those feelings in me, but every night I pray that someday, we will all find our way back home, to our own tribe that can actually see the value in us, and knows that we have feelings. I am still waiting for that day to come. I know that I would not want to leave this horrid place as bad if the white men treated us like humans, and thought of us as we truly are – equal.
[You are a poet! This is very good. Keep in mind, though, that most of the slaves in America were not brought from Africa. Their parents or grandparents or some ancestor long, long ago was kidnapped and brought over from Africa to the colonies or to the Caribbean. That particular slave has probably never heard of Africa. But you have captured her emotions very well. Well done! - Mr. Fladd]
Isaac D
Block B
John Reynolds (after Toby has run away and been beaten)
Man he’s a tough kid. I haven’t seen anybody stand a beating like that just over what he wants to be called. There must be something in it for him in some way. Personally, I think it’s a good name and that he should be proud of it, but at the same time I kind of feel bad, but we needed to teach him a lesson and that there are consequences to your actions. And those consequences are that you will be whipped. So I don’t think he will be running off to often anymore. I paid good money for him though, so I don’t want him running off, but I also don’t want to beat him to death. Either way it’s a loss for me. Well it’s the only ways so he should probably get used to it if he wants to ever try to run away again. What gets me thinking though is, how he got those chains off anyway. I’ll probably ask Fiddler to see if he has any idea, but I think the beating was good for him and the rest of the blacks. They’ll be too afraid to run off now and we won’t have to worry. It’s just kind of hard to watch and hear a lot, but I know it’s for their own good. He should also be answering to his name now. So we won’t have to deal with that anymore. The only thing I’m afraid of is that he’s not going to change for anybody, which could be a problem down the long run. He’s definitely going to be dead in a few years if this keeps up. Well I’m sure he’ll learn his lesson, but it’s kind of hard to read him to tell if he actually will answer to Toby no matter how much we whip him. I don’t know. I’m just hoping that he’ll get over it and that he will become a good slave.
[I think you've got John Reynolds' personality down pat. Do you think he'd actually ask a slave's opinion about anything, though? - Mr. Fladd]
Block B
12/15/09
Mr. Slater
Hi name is Mr. Slater. I was the second man in charge of the slave ship. My feelings about having slaves are very strong. I think we should have slaves. If we didn’t have slaves who would do our work for us. That’s how I felt about slaves. That slave girl that jumped of I was so angry at one of my crew members. The reason why I was so angry was because it was a fine young shaft [?]. That fine young shaft[?] was worth a lot of money. All that money lost could’ve gone to my family. So the reason why I took it out on one of the crew members was to show the other crew members what would happen. So now the others wouldn’t let this happen again because, they wouldn’t want to get beat. I was very shocked when the slaves were trying to attack us. I was trying to keep most of them alive so we wouldn’t loose all that money. But I wasn’t working my crew members were shooting them if they were attacking. There was one of the slaves that I was really worried about and he was “The Wrestle”. I was most worried about him because he was the smartest and the best trained. I knew the wrestle the looking for me the most. I knew that because he that I was the main leader of the slaves. Until him I thought that all of the slaves weren’t very smart but I guess I was wrong about that. I was wrong about all of that because then I got shot then my life was over.
["Fine young shaft"? I'm not entirely sure what you mean. I think this could have used a second draft. On the other hand, I like how you focus on Slater's anger and take the time to explain it. - Mr. Fladd]
Kunta Kinte (After being whipped)
I yell in pain as the whip snaps across my back. The white man is yelling at me he wants me to say my name was Toby, but I will not say that my name is Toby my name is the only thing I have left. But I can not take the pain from the whip any longer, I finally say my name is Toby and I am dropped to the ground. Fiddler comes over to me with a bucket of water. The water feels good as it runs down my throat. Fiddler rubs the water all over my cuts. I wonder what will happen to me now, I wonder if the work will get worse from here on now. I wonder how mad Fiddler is, if he has lost every thing he has been working for. Like he said he would if I ran away.
[This is a good start, but it's too short. Good writing doesn't have to be REALLY long, but you need to give your reader enough of it to get a feeling for what you are trying to write about. Please give me more, next time. - Mr. Fladd]
Shannon M.
Block D
Slave on slave ship (female)
12/13/09
I just want this voyage to be over with. If my life is going to be this bad forever, then I want it to be over too. These damned white people can’t take charge of us our whole life. Do they understand that we are human too? They treat us like their livestock or even worse sometimes. Living in this smelly, grimy, hell hole trapped to wooden boards isn’t quite my idea of a fun living environment. The skin on my back is starting to wear down and it really kills. Having to be the captain’s “servant” some nights isn’t any better. Those horrid times where he drags me into his room for his pleasure only, really destroy me. He has that odd look in his eye like he knows that he’s doing something mischievous but he does it anyway.
As all of us prisoners suffer along the journey barely living, we are trying to learn each others’ languages. It’s difficult remembering the words at times, but it’s what we need to do. We all must work together and figure out a plan soon. As soon as we land this ship where ever it’s landing, we better run. To get out of the hands of these cruel, nasty pigs would be a dream.
Here we are on the deck for a change. It feels good getting out of those rough wooden planks that we are always chained down to. The fresh ocean air smells good, but then the simple peacefulness is ruined. The dreadful salt water gets poured onto us and stings like hell. The painfulness is misery. We all look around at those malicious workers aboard the ship. Unexpectedly one of the trapped Africans, Kunta Kinte I think, grabbed the key from a white guy’s neck and started unlocking the chains. We all cheered and tried attacking the white men as we got quickly unchained. Those pigs were all getting killed and wounded. Yes, we were about to take over the ship! It was all working perfectly, until that one stupid cannon went off. It all happened so quickly. First we were winning, then that loud noise went off and the excruciating pain started. There we lied; some dead, some barely able to move, but alive. I was able to look up and slowly get moving. The damned workers chained what was left of us back up. Looking into the ocean one last time before going back on the lower level, I saw the long piece of land we were about to arrive at.
[Very good. Please remember to write in one tense or another - Past or Present. It is a little distracting to the reader when you shift back and forth. You use very effective imagery. I like your image of the smell of the "fresh ocean air"; I can imagine it being a huge relief to get away from the stink of the ship's hold. - Mr. Fladd]
Connor R Block C 12/14/09
What can I do if someone is mean to me or if I see someone being mean to my friend?
When someone is mean to me or my friend, I can talk to a teacher. I can stay away from them so they will not hurt me. I can ask them to please stop being mean. I can talk to my Mom and Dad or another adult.
[Those are all good ideas. - Mr. Fladd]
Erin Rogers
Block A
Slave as he/she watches kunta kinte being beaten:
Ohhhh, poor boy. I could barly watch as the black guy behind him, whipped him over and over again. The pain he must be in, I can’t imagine anything as cruel as that. But something thing painful too is the guy behind him who was in charge of whipping him over and over again. He had pain on his face was just as much as everyone else, but us watching also had shock and fear too: that that might happen to us if we get out of line. No one wanted to watch, but we couldn’t help it. Around me where woman crying softly, trying to hold it in but couldn’t.
The guy hit him so many times, enough to nock Tobby out from shock of pain. Mr. Reynolds would yelle “say your NAME Tobby! Say it!” He said this many times, after each time he would wait a few second and if Tobby wouldn’t say it he would give one of his other slaves the ok to whip him. Mr. Reynolds did this many times. Even though he did this, you could see the pain on his face. Maybe one part of him, way deep down knew that we are the same as him just different skin color, and maybe life isn’t always about him. I hated white people so much, sometimes I just couldn’t take it and watching this made me more mad than I’ve ever been at a white made before. THERE MONSTERS! It’s not secret to man kind that they are. They have always been monsters and will always be. Several more times he whipped Tobby, than Tobby gave in.
He whispered Tobby, but that wasn’t good enough, he made Tobby say it in a loud voice. I don’t know if it was to teach him to respect him or to remind Tobby that he was owned. We all are owned. After Tobby said his name Mr. Reynolds pushed us on to go back to work, leaving Tobby lying there on the ground.
God bless you Tobby to standing up for what you belive in, what everyone belives in.
You are a true hero.
[This is well written, but needs a little bit of proof-reading. Please remember to capitalize the first letter of proper names like Kunta Kinte. I agree with you - Toby is a little bit of a hero, isn't he? - Mr. Fladd]
Kristin O.
Block D
December 14, 2009
Slave who beats on the pot while other slaves are “danced”
Why do they take me away from the others and make me make sound for them to move to. Where even are we? There is no river bank to swim to and even if I try I am locked together with others of my kind. There is water all around me, water that feels and tastes bad. Why are they treating me different from the others? Why do I make sounds and not move like others. This is better than being locked together with a horrid smell and our stomachs spilling, but not as good as being home.
They treat us like animals. They act like they are trying to tame us, like we do our animals back at home. I wish I was home with my family, my father will be disappointed. I must get home, when will someone grab the ring with the metal stick that will let us free? Should I try to get it?
Then I saw a young man of my kind go to grab the metal ring but the man with the ring fought back, and soon the whole deck of people were fighting. I remembered that there was a white sitting right behind me so I grabbed the metal bowl I was beating on and I hit the man behind me with it. He fell to the ground so I jumped onto the wood deck and began fighting so they could start getting out of these heavy metal locks. After a few minutes some of the white men took out a weird shaped thing and made something come out of the end. The thing that came out shot right into the black man next to me. It killed him. At this time we all got hit with little ball like things that hurt very badly, they stung. The white men got control of us once more. But we will not give up we will keep trying.
[I like how you struggle with the problem of describing things that your guy wouldn't have the words for. The Wrestler did the same thing. - Mr. Fladd]
Kyle C.
Block B
Kunta- Kinte (before slave uprising)
The white man is a horrible species taking us away from our land. What is the point of their travels to a place where the earth does not exist? I also wonder where are they bringing us? They are also not right in the head, they bring us up on to the top of the canoe house and yell in some very strange tongue. Then they star jumping around like monkeys. The white man’s food is like it was made for pigs, yet they feed it to us and make us sick. The Wrestler is right we must rise up against the white men, and show them that they can not treat use like animals keeping us captive. I am willing to do anything to go back to my homeland. The Wrestler said that there is a white man that carries a ring around his neck with metal sticks that open will open our chains. That way we are able to fight the white men like true warriors. The white is going to get a taste of what it is like to be treated like an animal. We will use their rope thing that they dare hit us with. I just hope that we can take the canoe house over with out any casualities on our side. But when we do we will head back to the our homeland. We will all then return victorous and the people of the village will welcome us with great honor. Atleast that’s what I can hope for. If this does not work out I will not quit then I will continue to fight against the white man. I will show them that you should not ever mess a Mandinka Warrior. No matter what they do to me I will always follow the way of the Mandinka.
[I like the way you turned the White Man's stereotype on its end and have Kunta Kinte seeing THEM as bizarre, not-quite-human animals. Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
[Block?]
[Character?]
I don’t know how someone can act like this. I guess he doesn’t understand that he is being sold and there is nothing he can do about it. I can’t believe he tried to run away, it is a good thing I was there to help subdue him. At first I thought he was going to get away, but it is a good thing we stopped him. It is a good thing we stopped him because he looks strong, and he could be a good worker. He is crazy, and he has a lot of energy. That will be good for whoever buys him. I think he will be hard to train, because he tries to escape and one of these times he will succeed. Who knows where he will go if he escapes. I think his sale price went down when he tried to escape. I think this because the people at the auction saw him try to get away, which might make them think that he will try to run away when the leave him alone. Acting the way he did just shows how we are more superior to the blacks. I think that they should be punished for the way some of them act. Sometimes I wonder why they try to escape; it is like they are being held against their will. That’s why I am glad that I was there to help subdue the black that tried to run away, if he got away he would have never been found again.
[Do you think your guy would have put this much thought into what a slave was thinking? I wonder. At the same time, I think you did a good job of expressing this guy's satisfaction of doing a "good deed". - Mr. Fladd]
Sean C
Block: B
Fiddler
Today My master has bought a new African slave (Kunta Kinte) right off the ship from a Africa. He is a younger kid in his late teens and very strong. As he was being taken to my/his new master he got away from the man holding him and what looked he tried to get away. But a few white men circled around him stopping him from running away from us, so then I grabbed him. On the way back to the house we had to stop to fix the horse that was pulling the wagon and as I was doing it the African tried to steel my mallet probably thinking of hitting me with it. Then Mr. Reynolds told me that since I chose that slave out of the rest to be the best choice I must teach the African how to speak English and to understand English by his birthday or I will be treated like the other slaves which would be awful since I have worked for so long to get to eat and sleep in the house. So as I finished and we began to leave I tried seeing if he knew his own name which the dummy didn’t. It has been a few weeks know and I know that we are making some progress with the African boy know named Toby. He can know speak a little bit of English but still not enough. Know it has been quite a while and he can speak most English words but he still doesn’t like his new name and I am afraid he doesn’t know what will happen to him if he doesn’t respond to his name come Mr. Reynolds birthday. Things look pretty good until one day Toby escapes and they find him and beat him and till he says his name.
[This is pretty good, until that last sentence, which doesn't have a lot to do with the rest of the essay. It's kind of jarring and distracts the reader. You don't always need a conclusion that wraps everything up neatly. - Mr. Fladd]
Nick B.
Block B
Fiddler talking to Kunta Kinte about 6 months after the auction
On this here night I was a going to give that boy some grub from the table at Mr. Reynolds house. I walk outside into his little shed and close the door. I greet this great Guinea boy with sincerity. I go to tell him that he’s being a great slave and if he keeps it up he’ll get to sleep in the big house. Not in the cold, in a shed outside. His progression in learning English was getting better. Although, he was not yet used to his name Toby. I put the grub down and turn around to find him being bad. He was being really bad, bad enough to get good ole Fiddler whipped and punished. I said with agony and anger “look look what you’ve done, do you even care about Fiddler?”. Kunta replied “do you want me to stay?”. I yelled “no no you can’t stay not looking like that you can’t”. I slammed Kunta against the wall and told him “do you even care about me? I know your a Guinea boy and you don’t know what’s right and wrong. Now I have to pay, I have to sleep in the cold and sleep in the dirt. I get thrown out of the house and I’m going to get whipped and punished for this”! He came over to me and hugged me and said “I’m sorry Fiddler, Kunta never forget you you helped Kunta”. I felt so bad not only was I going to get punished but what he said to me made me realize what I haven’t seen in a while. A rebellion, a way to leave and catch a glimpse of freedom. Then, Kunta say “You come with me we go together. I was heartbroken knowing I couldn’t go with him “I can’t go cause it’s too cold and I’m too old”. The last thing he said to me was “chains ain’t right for Ni**ers Fiddler chains aint right”. I thought to myself nope no they’re not.
*Then he was gone into the cold night*
[Well done. I like your line about Kunta reminding him of a part of himself he'd forgotten. - Mr. Fladd]
Sarah K.
Block B
John Reynolds talking about the new African slave he just bought.
Today I went to a slave auction to see if there were any worth buying. I sent Fiddler to see which ones were the best. He told me which one to bid on, so I bought the one he suggested. Right after I bought him, however, he got out of the grips of the men holding him, and started running around with a whip trying hit people with it. I told them that they would owe me three slaves if he was killed. He was not killed, and I am starting to wonder if I made the best choice in buying him. I fell sort of bad for him though, he fought back hard when they brought him out to be auctioned off. What if he is too wild and savage to do any work? I will give him to Fiddler to be taught. He is a good worker and can teach the new slave what he is supposed to do. I paid good money for him, and I want him to do good work. If he fails to do this, he will not be allowed many of the privileges he has now. He will be housed with the others, and he will not have a bed to sleep on; he shall sleep on the floor if he fails to train the new slave well. I thought of a name for him. We are going to call him Toby. For some reason, though, when we told him he was to answer to the name, he ignored us, and said something like “Kunta Kinte.” I believe that was his African name. I wonder why he wants to keep his name though. It will only make it harder for him to communicate. Surely he will know that that is his name once he understands English better. When he learns what we mean (if he can) he will want to be treated like the other slaves on the plantation, and have his own name. I personally think Toby is a great name. It is very American.
[I like how you expressed John Reynolds' "buyer's remorse". One small point - he wouldn't have thought in terms of things being "American"; he would have thought of them as "English". Virginia was still part of the British Empire. - Mr. Fladd]
Nick N.
Block A
Slave in the slave pen waiting for auction
Why am I here? What do they have against us? We never did anything to them. I miss my family and my tribe back in Africa. I think to my self what would people in my tribe would do if the were in this situation. I feel the cold bars. It feels like I am worthless like the dirt I stand on. We are just standing here behind these bars watching the white men picking us out one by one. Who knows what they would do to us. I see the white men feeling and looking at all sides of us. The white men talk in awkward languages. White people sit around starring at the person up on the high platform. I think they expect us to do something. I feel so much emotion and hear cries and sighs. I wonder what the white people are thinking at this time. After the white man stops talking, one of us that is up on the high platform walks over to some other white man. Then another one of us gets up on the high platform. My ankles start hurting from the tight chains that are attached to each foot. The bars open and another one of us is taken to the high platform where the white man talks quite fast. I am speechless and I am sure everyone else standing next to me is the same. All I think I could really do now is wait. Time goes by as only a few people are left. The words, what will they do with me and the others keeps running through my mind. I wish I could get these chains off of me and run far away. Then… the bars open once again, and the white men grab me.
[" I feel the cold bars. It feels like I am worthless like the dirt I stand on." This is a great line. - Mr. Fladd]
Jesse B.
Block A
Mr. Ames (6 months after Kunta Kinte was bought)
Why won’t this boy learn his name? I hate it when Ni**** are this hard to break, I think they would learn after 1 whipping but not this one. Toby is finally coming around but I wish I wouldn’t have to whip him so much because later on in life he is going to have a hard time because his back be hurting. I hoping I will be able to cutting of his chains in the next few weeks so he will be able more and harder work. I don’t like this Ni**** that much because doesn’t listen very well and I prefer the N****** that are easy to break. I think this was a good buy but he sometimes doesn’t listen which makes me mad. He is a tough one, and I bet once he is broken he can do some hard work. I think Toby will come out to be a fine Ni***** but I kind of fell bad for Fiddler because he is the most respected Ni**** out of them all and he is losing some of the stuff he earned because he wasn’t able to break Toby. I don’t this Mr. Reynolds will be buying to many more from the auctioneer because they are really hard to fully break. Toby shouldn’t have run away because he was becoming a fine Ni***** and he lost a lot of respect and he will probably be on chains a little bit longer.
[I like the way you expressed Ames' secret concern for Kunta/Toby. That emotion snuck out a little in the movie. - Mr. Fladd]
Kunta Kinte New at Plantation:
Where am I? Even here there is no one who speaks my language. They all wear odd, large, heavy clothing. They have dressed me in some kind odd thing that wraps around both of my legs, and there is space in between. I think I heard the man called Fiddler call them “pants”. I also have a shirt, but none like I’ve ever seen before, it’s all very strange.
There are so many people like me and Fiddler here, with dark skin. Why don’t they try to escape? Don’t they have families back in their villages to try to get back to? All I know is that I will wait until the time is right, and I will try to escape, and I will take Fanta with me. I fear for her. She does not seem to care about going home. Why does she feel that we can’t at least try to go home? There is nothing they can do that is any worse than what they have already done. I must find her, and help her. Oh, how I wish the mighty Ala will help me escape soon.
They keep calling me Toby, that is not my name. My name, is Kunta Kinte. I will not answer to Toby. The name makes me wish to spit. And these chains, oh these chains. They are burning my skin! And they are so heavy, how can they expect me to do anything for them with these on? I can only hope that things will get better from now on. My fate rests in The Mighty Allah’s hands.
[Good job. I think you've done a good job of summing up his feelings. I like how you picked up on his concern for Fanta's change in attitude. - Mr. Fladd]
Tyler K,
Slave on slave ship (female)
Another day on the ship and I am still alive, but it is one of the rare days. We are supposed to go on the upper deck to get cleaned and exercised. Then when the white came to get us, but they treated the other women and I different then they did on the rare cleaning days. The started to try and take advantage of us, some of the other women gave up and let it happen. I gave up on most things but I fought for my virginity and innocence. Then it happened, a woman from a different tribe and I broke for the men and ran for the upper deck where a familiar face was dancing for exercise. It was Kunta Kinte, but he had this fierce look in his eye. Then it happened, the slave men attacked the white men as I sat their praying that that I was dreaming. Then the other female slave jumped off the boat to her death, and as I thought to my self if I should do the same and end my misery or live. For the first time I realized it would be easy just to follow the white men, as this thought came over me I felt a sadness in the pit of my stomach, as if part if me died. Then once again I felt the warm hands of the white man grab me to clean me I could hear Kunta’s voice yelling Fanta don’t give in Fanta, as they dragged back down to the lower courters. Although I wanted to be a fighter like him, deep down I knew I wasn’t and that I would do whatever to please the whit man.
The ship must have reached our new home, I could sense it from the recent excitement from the white men aboard. Then before I knew it I was being brought to my new home, as well as taught this confusing language. Unlike most slaves at my new home I wasn’t beaten because I did what was asked of me, which is more than I could say for my old friend Kunta Kinte who often crossed my mind. As well as my family did, but I would forget sooner or later for I would never see them again, as they would me. I had a new life know and did not have time for day dreaming my master said. For the daydreamers get whipped, he told me and you don’t want that know do ya? No sir I am doing what ever it takes to please you, and he would always nod to me with the sly smug grin he seemed to always wear.
[You've done a good job of interpreting what she would have felt like. Please do a more thorough job of proof-reading next time; small mistakes distract the reader from your good writing. (Example - "one of the rare days" One of the rare days that she is alive?) - Mr. Fladd]
Block: D
Hi. I have just been captured and put on a slave ship. I am so sad I have just lost my family. The days are hard on this ship. The food is horrible, I have never had anything so bad but I have to eat it. It smells very bad down here and it is hot. Every few days we have to go up on deck and jump around to weird music. Not many people on this ship speak my language so I feel lonely. We have been on this ship for a long time I want to get off and be able to have some room. I know I am going to be sold and put to work but its better then being on this horrible slave ship. I wonder what life will be like on a plantation and if I will meet people that speak my language. It will be hard to forget about my family and start a new life. I feel bad for my kids knowing that they have to grow up without a dad to be by their side. I just hope that they are safe and that they don’t get put on a slave ship. It would be hard for them I have been sick on this ship. I have never been on a boat before in my life. I can’t wait to get off this boat and get better food I think we will be getting off soon. Well wish me luck on the rest of my trip.
[Good luck. - Mr. Fladd]
Nate L.
Little Girl who sees Kunta Kinte for the first time
12/14/09
Who is he? My momma told me he’s dangerous and to stay away from him until the fiddler figures him out. I watched him on the back of the wagon as he went by our cabin. I am so curios about him, I wonder what Mr. Aims will do if fiddler doesn’t break him. I see him around the working fields every now and then. His name is Toby but he doesn’t answer to it, he must be stupid or something. Fiddler told me he came from Africa, and he said that all our ancestors came from Africa. I was born here so I haven’t ever seen it. My grandpa came from Africa he never told me about it, and he was the only one alive, but he’s dead now. I don’t know anything about Africa or even anything out side of our little plantation momma says I will leave some day and got to a great place with all of my family and friends but I don’t know what she’s talking about. I want to find Toby and learn all he knows but he doesn’t talk to anybody. I’m a little afraid of Toby he looks angry like he wants to hurt us. Sometimes I see him and he looks sad and scared. Like a animal when it gets trapped. Fiddler is gonna teach him English and to respond to his one name. Toby on the other hand, is very determined to keep from loosing the only thing he’s got left, his name. Well that’s all my momma told me and I am still very curios about this Toby fiddler brought home
[I think you're right - a child would have been confused and pretty ignorant about what "Africa" was. A good job. (But please proof-read a little more carefully next time.) - Mr. Fladd]
Fiddler (When Kunta Kinte runs away)
Oh how it pained me to even look at the n*gger. My whole lives work, gone. All of it for nothing. It twas’ all falling for nothing. The sickening waste of my time. All that trust I had gained from the people. I was now considered a black n*gger once again. But I had, at one point been considered a man. I twas’ a man. All, I had just lost, due to the selfish n*gger. With such behavior; he be not deserving of a life. With rage I walked over to the n*gger. Trying to hold myself back. I could not as I began to punch the young n*gger. Screaming threats I believe is what I was doing to Toby. Trying to tell him of the terrible thing he had just done. It twas’ not even terrible, there were no words for how sick this made me, he did not understand of course. Oh, he just being a n*gger and all. Kunta Kinta that nigger twas’. He believed he was. He would not let anyone believe other-wise. But he had to. Or the poor n*gger would have died. Now what am I saying to myself? Calling this untamed, young, one poor? He’s a little good for nothing, un-trustworthy n*gger. Perhaps not though. Perhaps. Perhaps I should beat the living he!l out of him. Perhaps now, he should go. He wants to get caught and brought back unready for the beating he will receive, then so be it. Kunta Kinta, being free now, a freedom that will not last I can call him. Until he returns, and the nigger is dead. Oh only then will he be Toby. Such a strong n*gger he be. Twas still being only a boy and all. What spirit and pride in himself that n*gger has. Oh, what am i saying? Oh, im just saying what I shall. There be it. If that n*gger, Kunta Kinte be strong enough to live, then god let him. But he will only remain with his freedom if he be deserving of it. That n*gger; well it’s hard for me to tell. I don’t want to admit to Kunta Kinte, but he stronger than me. He all around better than I was, only at the time I twas’ a n*gger, so let him free.
[You are doing a good job at interpreting other peoples emotions. Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
Anna R
Block D
12/14/09
John Reynolds youngest daughter
Father is home! Father is home! I do so hope that he has brought me presents. I have asked him for some beautiful silken ribbons for my hair. I do deserve the best, don’t I? Shouldn’t I look as fine as my elder sisters and my mother? I should think so, but I fear father doesn’t care. He probably bought some tobacco for himself and something fine for mother. Oh how I wish he paid more attention to me! Running outside, I hugged father.
“Did you bring us presents? Did you, did you, did you?” Mother, sisters and me all asked. Father joked that he had not, but I could see he did.
“I brought music for you, my wife, candies for you, a handkerchief for you, and for you, my youngest, silken hair ribbons!” He said.
“Oh father!” I squealed with delight. These would make me look even prettier. They were so soft, too! I clutched them to my chest, and then marched up the porch steps. But… why hadn’t father bought me more than two ribbons? I was the youngest, and deserved the most attention. He should have spent more money on me. Mother pushed us inside, but before I was in the door, I saw a strange new black man standing next to Fiddler. He looked more like a boy than a man. His eyes were crazy, and he looked around all wild-like. He frightened me.
Mother led me upstairs to my room, where she brushed my hair so she could put the ribbons in. I felt the brush glide through my hair, and I sighed with happiness. I was so much more pretty than all my other sisters, and all the black women and girls on the farm. Thinking about that, I confused myself. Maybe that’s why daddy hardly spent any money on me, I thought. Because he was too busy buying black men to do his work. Silly daddy. Didn’t he know that the slaves and servants we had already were more than enough? Didn’t he know he should use his money to buy us more fine and elegant things? My eyes teared up. It wasn’t fair. Daddy went around buying all these slaves just for him to show off to his friends. He spent all his money on himself, and never once did he think about me and what I need! I wasn’t nearly as elegant as I could be. I wanted to throw a tantrum. Daddy was so selfish! Mother noticed my tears.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like your new ribbons?” she asked.
“Yes, but I want more! I want to be the prettiest in the world, and daddy needs to buy me more things!” I wailed. I hoped my tears would get me what I wanted. They almost always do. Everyone always feels sorry for the poor, youngest daughter who doesn’t have what everyone else does.
[You've captured her spoiled, self-centered attitude perfectly! I like the way you show how calculated her behavior is. This is an excellent piece of writing! (By the way, did you notice that the slave children asked Fiddler the same thing - "What'd you bring us?) - Mr. Fladd]
Mikey L
Block D
sailor getting beaten by Mr Slater
When The Sailor was getting beaten up it was a very strong part of the episode. It is very hard to wrap your head around this whole thing because today we would never do something like this.
What I thought was going through the sailors head when Mr. Slater was beating him was that Next time I cant mess up and always do what he says. He probably wont mess up again because of that very strong message because Mr. Slater said next time he would rub him up against the side of the boat where all the barnacle was to rip up hid back. If I was getting beaten up I would make sure that I never make a mistake with Mr. Slaters “precious cargo” (the slaves) ever again because the outcome could be very painful. There was a reason that Mr. Slater did it in front of all the other sailors so that they also know not to make any mistakes with the cargo, So for Mr. Slater it was a good choice to do it in front of the slaves. A lot of things would probably be going through me head while getting beaten up like I should have payed more attention to that slave and that I should never ever do it again I would also be thinking even though it might not have looked like he was getting off easy but in a way a lot worse of things could have happened. I would also be probably hurting from all the punches but I would be kinda glad because I didn’t get dragged across the side of the boat covered in barnacles. That is what I thought bout that sene of episode 2 .
[Better! You put a lot more thought into your essay this time! (Next time, please write as if you ARE the character, though.) I agree that this is a hard scene to understand in some ways - everything that is going on is so foreign to us! - Mr. Fladd]
Travis D block B
I got when Fiddler was talking about Kunta Kinte when he first found out he had to teach him English and how to work in America.
Just a recap on what I Fiddler said to Mr. Reynolds’s to get Tobey. Mr. Reynolds this is one of the finest of the bunch.
(Mr. Reynolds) Fiddler I do recall you saying that he was the finest buck in the group. Master Reynolds I do not recall me saying that. Mr. Reynolds) Fiddler I want you to teach Tobey English and how to work in America by my birthday. Master Reynolds you really no how to make me happy sir I really don’t know how to thank you (I said sarcastically)
Once Mr. Reynolds left I said how am I goin to teach this guinyman lord you can’t even remember your own name, hell he don’t even know how to speak. I went up to the Tobey guinyman and I made him it down in the wagon and I said this is a wagon can you say wagon wa-gon can you say that and to my surprise he said it. But when I ask him to say his name all he say is Kunta, Kunta Kinte and I tell that guinyman that, that is his African name and that his master gave him a new one which is Tobey. That guinyman grab my arm and say his name to me one more time and I told him you all African are the same crazy master says you name Tobey that’s who you is master owns you listen to him. I also told you listen to me Tobey Guinyman I live in the masters big house I have a nice floor under my feet and it don’t take the Master much to make me take my corn whiskey with my medicine and that’s fine living for a n***a and I be damed if a African guinyman take all that I’ve been working for to get where I am now you take my meaning…. And then I said he don’t understand a word I’m sayin do he don’t speak the kings language and I told him you better learn , you Tobey, you best learn or you gunna get the bloody side of your back if you don’t and me too …maybe!.
[You did a good job of remembering the lines from the movie. I would have liked to have seen more of YOUR writing here, though. - Mr. Fladd]
Travis D
Block D
12/14/09
Member of the hunting party that captures Kunta Kinte.
If I were in this position, I would be saying to myself in a very sarcastic voice “oh no, one of our slaves have run away, how will we ever catch him”? I would say it this sarcastic voice because there is no way that a slave on foot could get away from a bunch of people in the hunting party that are on horses. I would also be saying that Kunta Kinte isn’t the smartest because when he was running away from the hunting party, he left a lot of stuff and evidence behind. He left all of his cloths in the log that he was sleeping in, and that there was clear foot steps in the snow. When the people of the hunting party saw the foot steps, they all stopped and just fallowed the foot steps in the snow instead of running around and looking for him.
When the hunting party found Kunta Kinte, they got chains around his arms and watching him struggle to try to get out of the chains for them was like a show. I could see the laughter in their eyes. After awhile, when they were still walking back, he was still struggling to get out of the chains. I would think that they would start to feel bad for all the slaves that try to get away. But in their emotions, I could not see anything that said that they felt bad for them.
When they got back, they had to give Kunta Kinte to John Reynolds. And when he said thank you for bringing him back, he didn’t say that it was tough or anything like that so I am guessing that it was a pretty easy job to get him back. I could never be in the position and catch a slave when I know that he is pretty much suffering as a slave.
[These are all good points. Next time, please write as if you ARE the character you're writing about. - Mr. Fladd]
Alan S
Block D
Slave on slave ship(male)
I heard what that wrestler said does he think we can beat the white man? After that speech he gave I think we could beat those white men. After all we are warriors we do not fear the white man. The man next to me is helping me learn his language so we can beat the white man like the wrestler said. I wonder how we are going to do it, are we going to have an all out attack when we go above onto the top of the boat? Or are we going to sabotage their equipment somehow? I do not know but I do know this we will beat the white man. The wrestler who is apparently in charge has given the order; we will attack when we are brought up to dance. The second in command the Kunta Kinte will grab the key to unlock these ropes of metal. When this happens we will attack with a vengeance that is expected of warriors and we will overcome. The time has arrived the drummer has given us the signal; Attack the white man. What a battle the white men struggled to beat us and in the end he succeeded. I was brought back down into the boat and we continued the never ending journey of pain and misery. When we arrived at the dock we saw the Kunta Kinte screaming in agony as they poked and prodded him like an animal. What will they do to us next?
[This is pretty good, but a little hard to follow. I think it needed to be proof-read more carefully. Your ideas are good - let the reader see them more clearly. - Mr. Fladd]
Tyler B
12/14/09 Block B
Roots Blog Episode 2
Captain Davies after slave uprising
Captain Davies has had emotional feelings about taking the slaves from their homes and transporting them to the United States of America. For white people to buy and make the slaves do their farm and other labors for them. Captain Davies has changed his feelings more and more from the start and now after he has brought them to United States of America he has wished he has never done this. He wished that we could just treat slaves like they’re regular people. If u [Aaaaargh! you aren't texting! - jf] think about it would you want to be taken from strangers and brought away from your homes and sold to do work for other people as they sit and watch and drink tea, also eat? I know I wouldn’t that is just wrong it might have not been seen that way at that time but know it is just wrong. They’re still people out there that think darker colored people shouldn’t be treated as we do but their wrong. Captain Davies is not happy about what he had done he probably feels like he wants to kill himself for doing such a thing, he know it was wrong from the beginning but the pressure started to build up in his body and what I think almost made him want to bring the slaves back but if he had done that the sailors on board would have got mad and would’ve probably killed him for that was how they made their money. When he was done with everything there is a scene where his eyes are like in the back of his head and it looks like he is about to fall dead because he realized what he had done.
[This is pretty good. Next time, PLEASE write as if you ARE the character! I agree with you about Captain Davies, though - his guilt and sickness are totally connected. - Mr. Fladd]
Riley K
Mr. Aims(meeting Kunta Kinte for the firs time)
Block C
Mr. Aims is a slave owner. He wanted to control Kunta Kinte. But Fiddler did. Mr. Aims was mean to Kunta Kinte. I think Mr. Aims is a good person inside of him but on the outside of him he is mean. He wipped Kunta Kinte. He probably did not care about being mean and torturing Kunta Kinte. If I was him I would not want to be him! If I was him I would been nicer to Kunta Kinte. He changed Kunta Kinte’s name to Toby. I think they changed his name to take away who he was and to control him in another way.
[I agree with you. I think Mr. Ames is not all bad inside. That can be confusing, can't it? You are paying good attention to this movie. Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
Caroline S.
Block D
Kunta Kinte at the slave auction
Look at all of these white men. They think of me as nothing more than an animal. The way that they treat the women is simply awful; making them puff out their chests, it just sickens me. That’s all that we are to them; animals. A man of the same skin color comes over to look at us. He laughs and talks in a tongue that I can’t quite understand. He walks back and joins the crowd, blending in with the rest; he doesn’t seem to be on our side. I watch with horror as Fanta gets sold. The man that purchased her said something and the rest of them chuckled along.
Soon enough I myself got pulled from the tiny cage. The man started rambling on like he had done before, the man that purchased Fanta was one of them. I glared at him, and someone else quickly said something. I looked over; the man from before with the same skin as us was sitting with this white man, nodding his head to him. The man with the same skin walked over to me and grabbed my chains and pulled me over to a device with round things and a big animal at the front. He pushed me on the back. He hit the animal and we started moving forward. We soon stopped and they were talking again. The white man left and I was with the man that had the same skin as me. He started talking to me.
“Fiddler” he said pointing to himself. “Toby” he said pointing to me.
“Kunta Kinte.” I said back. I was not going to respond to a name that wasn’t my own. My name is Kunta Kinte and it will always be Kunta Kinte.
[Well done. I like how you work that line "It will always be" in; it is the same line Fiddler uses at the end of the episode. Nice foreshadowing. - Mr. Fladd]
Zander F
Block C S.S
Kunta Kinte (six months after being bought)
This is absolutely horrible. I have been working as a slave for almost six months now. It is very hard. They whip me if I do not respond to the white man name they have given me. But I must not forget it. It is all I have left of my old life. I am thinking about trying to escape. I found an old piece of metal that I could use to saw through my chains. I might be able to saw through them in a couple of weeks, maybe a month. I feel horrible. I haven’t slept in weeks, and I am physically exhausted from working in the fields for so long. My back is raw and bloody from being whipped so much. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. If I do end up running away, and I do get caught somehow… I don’t even want to think about it. I would be beaten until I can’t even stand up anymore. I have seen other slaves get beaten. It isn’t a very pretty sight. They hang them by their hands by a rope, then the whip them. They whip them until their back is raw. That can take as many as 50 lashes! It must be extremely painful. That is why I am worried to run away. But I must try. I refuse to continue working. I just might to be able to convince Fiddler to come too. But if I have to, I will go alone.
[This sums up his feelings well. Good job. - Mr. Fladd]
Annie DeCosta
Block A
-Young boy who shoots cannon
The crew brought the new harvested slaves up onto deck for their usual wash and workout. When they were all up on deck the air filled with a foul stench that made my nose wrinkle tight. The crew members filled the wooden buckets with the salty sea water and when they splashed it on the slaves skinned backs the ocean sky echoed the pleading cries. I know that I shouldn’t care, everyone knows that slaves are just like farm animals, I think. They all look human and they move like human so wouldn’t they be human? I only see the difference of them having black skin. Mr. Slater says they are not human so I must assume he is right. He has been out on sea for many years and I only now so he is the expert. I am glad that captain gave me the cannon duty. I like to watch the sea and the gulls that circle the mass at sun set though I have gotten nervous since the slaves started their chanting. I don’t believe that they chant happily, by the way their eyes pierced through Mr. Slater and Captain.
Some one is screaming? No two black women are screaming loss aboard the ship. I watch in silence as the men scramble to catch them but one of them is standing on the rail. She jumps. The other is balled up on the floor tears forming puddles on the floor. Another yell but this is from a white man. I look over to see Mr. Slater beating the man. Then it all happened so fast. The men slaves on deck were suddenly loss. The crew and slave mobbed in a scene of violence, I can’t think strait. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mr. Slater lay motionless on the floor with a knife in his chest. I lit the trigger.
“BOOM!”
The slaves lay motion less on the floor except for a few. I look up and meet eyes with the wild, angered eyes of a young black man.
[I think this needed a little proof-reading; it is a little hard to follow. On the other hand, that last line, "I look up and meet eyes with the wild, angered eyes of a young black man" is haunting. With a little polishing, your writing can be great. - Mr. Fladd]
Emily L.
Block C
Anne Reynolds (Master Reynolds’s Wife)
I know I really shouldn’t say, but I think that there is another side to what I was thinking about the slaves. I think they do have thoughts and maybe ideas. Dr. Reynolds thinks its more of wants and desires, but not ideas. He is a very bright and wise man so I think he has the right idea over mine. My husband Master Reynolds has just returned from an auction with a new black. He insists on calling him Toby. I understand why he doesn’t answer to his name. It is the last bit of his life from Africa that he is trying to hold onto, his name is Kunta Kinte, this is why I think they have thoughts and feelings. He is going to be whipped if he doesn’t answer just like all the blacks have before him.
Why did he have to try to run away? I knew he was up to something in that head. So maybe I am right they do have thoughts and ideas. Not the same as a white man more cynical and dark. I don’t know how he got through those chains though, but I do know that Master Reynolds is not pleased. I wonder what will happen to fiddler, Master Reynolds gave him this one duty to teach this black to obey and how to work. Fiddler seems to become attached to this black in a way he has not been to any other. He looked very distraught after the whipping. I think Fiddler understands the way I do about his name, but he just needs him to say the name Master Reynolds gave him. I know that this one will give my husband much trouble because he doesn’t see them the way I do.
[Isn't it weird how as a woman, she had to apologize for having thoughts and ideas of her own? - Mr. Fladd]
Zoe B
Block D
One of John Reynolds’ Daughters
Ugh my father!
He went into town and said he would get me ribbons, but when he got back all he had was an uncooperative, stinky, crazed slave boy. My father gave him a nice name, nicer than he deserved; but the slave still won’t answer to it. Whenever someone calls him ‘Toby’ (the name my father gave to him) he says, “Kunta Kinte”. It must be his crazy African name or something.
* * *
Mother and Uncle have spent a lot of time together while father is busy working. I’m worried for them, because if father finds out the things they say he won’t be happy. He’s already frustrated enough with the new slave that still wont answer to his name. And its been two weeks already.
I’ve heard Fiddler talking to the other slaves about Toby. How he’s so wild and dangerous, and how everybody should stay away from him. I think father should just get rid of the ungrateful African. He doesn’t understand how kind my father is to him. I don’t dare tell anyone my thoughts though; they’ll just get me in trouble. But still, I think keeping Toby is unwise.
If he gets unchained he could run away, hurt another slave or worse, hurt a human. I think we would be better off if father just sold Toby and stuck with breeding slaves on the farm. They’re so much safer and well behaved .
* * *
Oh my goodness!
Toby ran away!
Fiddler said he was getting better too. I hope the search party catches Toby, but I also hope they don’t. Father owns Toby and paid for Toby at the auction, so Toby has to work for father. But if they catch Toby they’re going to beat him with the whip. Oh how I hate when they beat the slaves. It’s sad and cruel. Yes, they are slaves, and not as good as us; but they still have some human in them, (I think). And it’s just not right to treat living creatures like that.
* * *
They found him. I saw them drag him back to the farm today. Right away they strapped him up and brought out the whip. I was going to watch but couldn’t make myself do it. I still hear the snaps of the whip and Toby’s cries of pain.
No matter how long I live and how hard I try that sound will never leave my ears.
[As always, your essay is well-written. I especially like the first line or so - that "Oh-my-God-My-dad-is-so-lame" vibe. I wonder what it was like to grow up with slaves being treated like that? How would it damage you as a person? Then when you grew up, how would you treat other people? If that happened to a lot of people, how would that affect Society? You've made me think about a new take on all this. Well done! - Mr. Fladd]
Hunter H
Block: B
Aurelia’s Mother
I feel terrible sending Aurelia in with Mr. Ames. I just wasn’t thinking. It should of been me. But if I tried to defend her i might have got whipped like Toby. I do not want that and I don’t want that for Aurelia either. The damage has been done and we are all physically okay. I feel her pain but maybe we will get some more respect around here now. Maybe we will be treated better then what we have been treated in the past. Even though Aurelia is mentally not well, she will be alright. Someday we will get out of here and she will raise her own family with a man she loves. I do not approve of Mr. Ames treating my daughter in this way but I can’t do anything about it. Life here on this farm is tough, and I hope I don’t have to spend the rest of my life here. And I definitely hope Aurelia doesn’t need to spend the rest of her life here either! I heard the word around here that Toby heard the house shaking when Mr. Ames and Aurelia went inside. Just the thought of it makes me sick. Why would a grown man want to do such a thing? These questions will never get answered and I will always remember this as one of the horrible things that has went on since Aurelia and I have been here. Well I hope me and Aurelia are let free soon because I can’t stand it here. Everyone so depressed except the white men and their families.
[This is a hard character for a boy to write about. You did a GREAT job! I think you nailed her emotions perfectly. Well done! - Mr. Fladd]
Leah H.
Block B
A Slave who is watching the auction.
My owner yells at me and tells me to get going, I don’t know why or where, he never tells me anything. I go outside and he orders me to pack up the wagon, get food for a few days and the horses ready. He tells me that we are going on a four day trip. I start preparing, I’m curious to what is happening. Where is he going?
Once I get everything ready and he gets settled into the wagon he answers my question.
“We are taking a trip to the city to attend a slave auction. We need some more workers”
My heart dropped when I heard this, thinking about my life. No freedom, all work, barely any food to survive and your only pay is your life.
If I could do anything, it would to make it so no one else has to enter this life. No one deserves this, no one. I start to dread this little trip master and I are going on. I would rather not see those confused, crazed slaves. Just thinking about it makes me quiver, how they are so clueless, they have no idea what they are in for.
The trip was long and slow but we finally made it into the city. All the white mens walking around in their fancy attire. I wear my greased, ripped pants and my vest. I am very cold, hungry and tired but I cannot complain, we made it. The auction starts in an hour or so; some man tells us as passing bye. I take a good look around looking for the slaves, then I see them. They are chained up, looking scared, miserable, hurt, dead and confused. I cannot even imagine the travel from their land, I see the white men whipping them and cleaning them up. I just wish master didn’t pick me to go with him to the auction.
It starts and I watch them one by one go up on the stand. They look horrible. The white men talk about them like they are animals, I’m surprised they are all still alive. Being born as a slave from America I don’t know what Africa is like or how they lived, but clearly they are different. They speak gibberish, no one can understand. I wish they could just go back to their land and live free. No one else needs to live my life. On the other hand, it would be nice if he bought another male slave around my age, to do the big boy work. I wouldn’t mind having someone to speak with, I could teach him the way around. How things are done. I mean I have been at that one place for 25 years, the farthest I’ve traveled is this city, many times to watch exactly what I’m seeing right now. A slave auction. Each time it hits me in a different spot, sometimes I feel sorry for them, sometimes they look like animals and sometimes Ii just want to be back in the field working, wishing I never came at all. Its a tough life being a slave, you are considered not a human. These poor people are about to lose their life. Their freedom. Their happiness.
(Little does the slave know they already have.)
[This blog post is 95% Wonderful! Please pay closer attention to the boring, proof-reading part of your writing. You used Present Tense for some of the sentences and Past Tense for some others and it distracted from your REALLY good writing. The same goes for spelling errors. I have to say though, the line "Your only pay is your life" is sheer poetry! Did you hear that somewhere, or is it original? Well done! - Mr. Fladd]
Nicole J.
Block A
Fiddler after Kunte/Toby has been beaten so badly.
Oh My! How could I let them do this to him! Why did you have to disobey? So many emotions are running through my head right now. How could they do this to him, how could he do this to himself. Its a name … why didn’t he just say “Toby” when they asked the first time? No he had to say Kunta. So many troubles have come from his stubbornness, hes not free anymore, they own him, I wish he would get this through his head. I know hes young, a rebel and all, but why? Why would he put himself through so much pain and misery? I looked at him again, as he was lying in my arms almost at deaths door I realized it. Toby is not who he is, hes Kunta Kinte. Kunte is what he shall be called from now on, no matter what the white men call him, he’ll always be called Kunte. He’s a tough one that kid, proud of who he is, he’s a fighter, and stands up for what he believes… and I love him for that. All I can think of is “ it was my responsibility to teach him, if I had taught him better, this would’ve never happened”. I only wish that I could’ve helped him. I’ll comfort him for as long as I can, but he has has been given to ________, therefor I don’t have control of him any longer. I don’t now if I can ever forgive myself, but I must wait and see what the future has a hold for us, and Kunte … I’m Sorry.
[I can't think of any way you could have expressed this better. You are a good writer! Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
Jessie B.
Block D
Sailor watching other sailor being beaten
Wow, he sure is foolish. He should’ a known better. He should’ a known that nothing good was going to come from playing around with that untied wench. It’s his fault he’s being beaten. But in a way I feel for him. He has been on this ship as long as I have, and we both know we have wants, and needs. But some of us can just control them a little better than others. Mr. Slater is giving him one good beaten, that man just lost one good piece of cargo. When you lose Mr. Slater a good piece of cargo, nothing good can come upon ya. This sailor keeps fighting back, saying “Be fair, you said we could have a pick of the wenches”, but it seems to not be doing him any good. Mr. Slater just keeps hitting and smacking him. If I were him, I would shut my mouth. I can see in some of the sailors’ eyes that they are frightened by this. The way that man had acted made these sailors think about what they have to do, and things they can’t do. If they did otherwise, they too would be beaten. I don’t know what the black men think of this. I look into their eyes, as I do the sailors, yet I see no emotion like the sailors. I still do not understand these ni**ers. I just keep staring and staring at Mr. Slater and the man. I feel as though I will never do something like that, because if I do. I don’t think that I will get very much at the end of the voyage.
I lost concentration in the beatin’, when I heard a loud yelling. I turned and saw all the ni**ers attacking the other sailors. I started in the fighting, whipping the slaves. Hitting them with all my might. Trying to stop their rebel. People are shooting guns, falling dead on the deck. I’m fighting off one big black man and he is very strong, I can’t seem to beat him. I lost and he threw me over board to die. As the boat floated away from me, all I could hear is chaos, and then BANG! The sound of the cannon. And everything went silent.
[Well done. You got his mental state - distraction - just right. I'm pretty sure those WOULD have been his thoughts right before the uprising. - Mr. Fladd]
Maya W
Block C
Old man at auction remembering how slavery has changed since he was a boy
So much has changed since the first auction I ever went to. As I stand here watching these filthy black slaves fight their way up to the podium, I think back to when I was a young boy and slaves were nothing more than a farming aid. Now slaves aren’t there just to help around the farm, they are no longer human. Instead they are compared to an ox or even a horse. Selling and shipping slaves are the way people make a living. Nobody cares about them, only that they get to where they need to be and that they do the work that is required of them. I can remember the first auction I went to as a young boy. There were very few slaves being sold and only the rich men bought. Now, there are dozens of those grimy slaves piled into cages lining the auction. I don’t remember the slaves ever being so obstinate either. Some of them are being whipped up to the podium and have angry expressions across their black, dirty faces. I don’t understand why they are so stubborn. The more they disobey, the more they will be beaten. The new slaves from Africa have always been the more disobedient than those whose ancestors were from Africa. It seems like slavery is a bigger deal than when I was younger. They are so disgusting and uncivilized, it’s hard to watch. No matter how badly they are treated or how depressing their faces look, slaves are slaves, and I feel no more sorry for them now than I did when I was a little boy and thought of them as one of the animals.
[Well done. I think you captured the changes in slavery over time very well. - Mr. Fladd]
Character: Ann Reynolds
Ever since John brought home that new slave, what’d we call him… oh yes, Toby, I’ve been thinking and pondering whether slaves are somewhat misunderstood. The man said they don’t exactly have feelings or emotions but more like passions and hungers. I don’t want to disagree with him but my opinion is that maybe Mr. Reynolds isn’t exactly, well, knowledgeable of the things that slaves feel and think.
I know he underestimates some of them. Like Toby when he ran away. He never thought any slave would be able to escape, but that young slave’s got spirit, I’ll tell you that.. Undergoing a beating like that, why I thought he’d never say his name and he’d be whipped to death. But he gave in eventually and I know I shouldn’t, but I feel slightly proud of him for fighting for his identity like that. He’s the bravest, fool-hearted black I’ve ever seen.
Sometimes I want to say something about how John treats all of them. I believe no living thing should be tortured in that kind of way. Even a slave. Why, they feel pain too don’t they? They breathe and stand on two legs just like the rest of us. I’ll never say this aloud but honestly, some part of me wonders if slaves are just people after all. The only thing different of them from us is their skin color. It is amazing at what the color of you on the outside can totally change what people do to you. But its not just skin color, its heritage. Its where you’ve lived its how you’ve been raised. Why these blacks come from across the world. They can barely do anything without proper teachings and training. Maybe I was being foolish. Off course their not human. They are completely different creatures aren’t they? Indeed they are. Slaves are only here to do work and that’s what they are made to do. They are just like any other animal on this plantation.
But even animals have feeling. They get scared. They care for their young don’t they? So doesn’t that mean maybe we should possibly reduce the punishments even slightly. Maybe not whip them as much or something of that nature. I want to say something to John but I’m a women and its not my place to say such things.
[A very good post. I like the way you climbed into her head. My favorite line? - "what’d we call him… oh yes, Toby". Look up the word "ambivalence"; you've totally demonstrated Anne's ambivalence. Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
[Block?}
{Character?]
Why am I here? I don’t deserve to get put inside a pen like I am some animal. I am hoping if I do get bought then it is better then the white men that I have been with. I have been getting r@ped like I am not a person. I just wish I could get some respect from all these crazy people. I am really missing my tribe and I hope that when I get my new owner that they will let me go back with my people. It is horrible being chained up in this pen. I just want to die , I am scared of what the future might bring. If I end up with a bad owner then I am guaranteed to run away. I hate life right now because the white men treat me like I am a nobody. I just hope that when I go up for auction then the men don’t touch me like they have all the other women. All the other women have got inappropriately touched by the people that want to buy them. If I go up there for auction I don’t wanna act like I am well I want to get sold to somebody that doesn’t want me so I can just run away from this madness. My friend goes up next and I am hoping for her safety but she is getting whipped every time she back talks, she doesn’t wanna listen to the mean white men because they think they can do whatever they want with her. They treat all us blacks like trash. It hurts me to watch the men touch my friend I am screaming for her , for someone to help my friend. When I yell I get whipped so I tried to just cry in silence. The white man grabs me to go up on the platform. I try and try to just make them put me back, I tell them I am no good. I want to be with my people , I don’t deserve to be sold off to these men. About three men come up to see how I look, one of the men says he wants me. I am scared because he looks like a wealthy guy that could careless about me. He bought me and I am just scared of what the man is gonna make me do. He could just use me to r@pe every night or he could make me do hard labor.
{Scared? ✔ Hurt? ✔ Angry at the injustice of her situation? ✔ Empathy with the other women being sold? ✔ – It seems like you’ve covered most of the emotions a woman like this would have felt. Well done. – Mr. Fladd]
In the second episode of Roots Kunta get dropped off the ship in Boston [Actually, Annapolis, MD -jf] . When he gets there the have to patch up his wounds so he looks presentable to the buyers. To fix up the wounds the man would pour hot tar on the wound, and yes it’s the tar that we use on our roads. When he is done getting his wounds treated the next day he is going to be sold at the auction. When he was at the auction they would treat them as if they were animals, keeping them in cages and what not. A little bit before the auction a man named Fiddler who is also a slave for a man down in Virginia named John Reynolds. The Fiddler is not like any slave though he is a slave with benefits because he’s been so reliable to Mr. Reynolds. So as the auction goes on the Fiddler told Mr. Reynolds that Kunta was a very good African Gini, as he referred to him. So Kunta goes to the plantation in Virginia and the Fiddler is told that Kunta is his responsibility, and that he needs turn him into a good hard working slave. So as the Months pass Kunta is not making any process and cuts through his chains. The Fiddler says that he has to leave or else he will get in trouble so that night Kunta leaves the plantation and in the morning one of the slave watchmen finds him and takes him back to the plantation. When he get back he is almost beaten to death. My blog is about what a slave would be feeling in this situation watching Kunta getting beaten. I think that if I were a slave I would think that what Kunta was getting beaten for (not saying the name Mr. Reynolds gave him) I would never disobey the white men because I could just get beaten just as bad as Kunta did. So really that is my conclution and this is my blog on Episode2 of ROOTS
[This is a pretty good summary of the events in Episode Two. Which character were you supposed to write about? What would he have felt about the events? - Mr. Fladd]
I don’t care that I put tar on slave’s backs because it is my job to do that. This job used to bother me when I first started but now it doesn’t. The smell of the slave is terrible but this is the only job I can get. If I lose this job I will not be able to take care of myself or my family. I won’t be able to buy food or pay the rent.
My job is to make the slaves look better when they arrive from Africa. I put tar on their backs to hide wounds and make people more interested in buying them. While they are in quarantine they live in cages so they won’t be able to run away. I love my job because I get to paint hot tar on slaves backs and I don’t care about their feelings or pain. I paint tar on many, many slaves backs and get paid to do it. I need the job so it doesn’t really bother me at all. After I am done with these slaves they leave and they bring in new arrivals from Africa and I do it all over again. I don’t know what I or my family would do if I lost this job as it is the only job I can get in the local area.
[I like the point you made at the beginning and end, about how this guy was just doing a job. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have LIKED doing it, exactly, but you're right that it also probably wouldn't have bothered him very much. - Mr. Fladd]
Jessie S.
Block A
Kunta Kinte (On board the ship, after the slave uprising)
What just happened? Did we just really do that? I can’t believe that we just had a really big outburst. I didn’t want it to go that way and have so many people shot. I didn’t think that it was going to go that far. Why did he have to get shot? Why did he have to die? He was the greatest wrestler that I had ever known. I just thought that we were going to injure people, not kill them. Why did that girl jump off the side of the ship and risk her life? I can’t believe that they captured Fanta and took her back in hostage. What are they doing to her?
So many questions and no answers. I wish that he didn’t get killed. I wish that he was still here laying right next to me. We should have never started that fight, even though we thought that we were going to win it. We should have waited till we were off the ship. But then there would be more people to help get us calm.
Mr. Slater’s expression was not pleasant. He looked like he wanted to kill all of us. He was not happy with his men. That we escaped. When one us took the key and started unlocking people that through him over the edge. At that very point he was not impressed with his crew. Why was he so mad at his crew?
I still can’t believe that he got killed!
[I'm pretty sure Kunta Kinte and the Wrestler did mean to kill the sailors. Do you remember at the end of the first episode? "We will win, we will kill, we will survive!" "We will kill the white men and go home!" In a story like this, it's hard not to change the events in your memory to make your favorite characters more likable. - Mr. Fladd]
Captain Davies(After slave uprising)
I can not just believe what happened. I should have not underestimated them. I just knew it was going to happen. I just knew. A lot of the slaves and crewmen were killed. Therefore, we lose some profit. Mr.Slater was killed by one of the slaves. I herd it all started when one of the wenches jumped off board. Mr. Slater started to punch the other sailor because it was his fault in the first place. Then one of the slaves went crazy and the rest followed. Thank the Lord that the boy shot the cannon. If he didn’t, we would have been killed by the slaves. I gotta say, they are kinda smart. I just wonder what triggered that one slave… maybe they were upset or scared. I just can’t take it anymore. I cant wait until this voyage is over. I just want to see my wife and kids. I really don’t want to do another trip, but I might have to. I just pray every night that things will get better and this voyage will get over quickly. I just cant wait until I go home. Every thing will get better once I go home. I know it will. I will be done with slaves and be home.
[What do you think Captain Davies will do if he has to make another voyage? - Mr. Fladd]
Lucky Li
Block D
Poor man at auction who has no money to buy a slave
Oh, how I wish that I was wealthy like the rest of my family. I cannot imagine how ashamed they must be of me right now. I can’t wait until the day I go home with a new n***ger. I can barely afford enough food to feed my love and my children, never mind a slave. I could barely afford the one I have right now. It was worth it though. Man, does he work hard; he’ll do anything you ask. Now that’s hard to come by. Now a days, half of them n***ers don’t even know their place. It is as if they think that they are white and human like the rest of us. Sometimes I feel sorry for them, but they always get what they deserve and they’re here because of us.
Would you look at that…! The auctioneer called for the first batch of wenches. Look at them struggle…what foolishness… Now that’s what I call a fine wench… If only I had a little more money. I shouldn’t have even come here in the first place. I wouldn’t have come if everyone hasn’t been talking about this rubbish. But I didn’t want people thinking that I was one of those low lives that dressed in that horribly dirty clothing of theirs. Unfortunately though, inside, I’m no different than them. I don’t have more money to spare than any of them. We’re the same except for the fact that I have a good reputation that I need to keep up, and they don’t.
The wench just got sold to Mr. Robert of Virginia. I envy how casual and laid back he looks…it’s as if he has done this many times before. Ahhh, what a pleasure it must be for him to receive all that a fine young lady can give. She’s a strong, black pearl, in the words of the auctioneer; what an investment.
This next n***er definitely looks like trouble. It looks very bright, and could probably lift twice its own weight. I hope that whoever buys him knows what he’s doing, because this one looks like it might be harder to tame.
I’m starting to think that maybe these auctions are not too bad after all. At least I get to look and listen…and I bet if I look listen long enough, I’ll learn start learning some things. I’ll hopefully be able to tell the greased from the natural and the destructive from the respectful. I suppose that whatever I learn will be put to good use when I finally have money to buy a n***er. I’ll be sure to get one that’s worth it.
[I like how you picked up on the fact that slaves could be status-symbols (something to show off how successful you were). You've written this almost like someone watching a sporting event, which a slave auction probably would have been to a guy like this. Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
Jeremy k.
Block A
Fiddler(looking at the slaves at the slave pen)
Look at all these fine n*****. Master Reynolds is counting on me to pick him a good n*****. Many of them look like they are in good shape and can handle some hard work. He has to be strong and a good listener but he can’t be too smart or he may try to escape from Master Reynolds. He also needs to be a healthy n*****. One that doesn’t look like he will get sick and die.
I hope they don’t try and fool everyone by lathering them up in oil to make them look healthy. Most of them look tired and weak but there are a couple that are looking strong. The ones that are standing are probably the stronger of the bunch, physically and mentally because they still have enough energy to stand and walk. I will have to choose from one of them. A couple of them are talking to each other. I think that shows me that they are good listeners and will probably be able to learn our language.
This man standing in the corner talking with the other guy, I have my eye on him. I have a good feeling about the way he holds himself and the conversation that he is carrying with this other man. He seems like he is really listening and responding to what he is saying. He looks like he is in pretty good shape and could probably be a hard worker. But then there is the guy standing at the gate trying to get out. That shows me he is strong-minded and knows what he wants. He too seems to be in good shape, a little stronger looking then the other man I had my eye on. He doesn’t look that tired and looks like he is a very healthy man. I think he will be the best choice for Master Reynolds.
[Is that how Kunta Kinte would have looked to Fiddler? I'm not sure. You are right that strength and obedience would have been the two most important qualities a slave-owner would have looked for. - Mr. Fladd]
Victoria W.
Block B
Fanta (on slave ship after revolt)
I no longer feel like a Mandinka, my land taken from me by the white man. I was given some hope by the fighting I heard. Oh, what joy it would be if the white man lost. My hope was strong … until the cannon blast. It made me learn that even though we are strong, the white men still have those blasting sticks.
Oh, I wonder how Kunta is; dead or alive? He is truly a warrior, a Mandinka warrior. He is so strong, he even still has that wild look in his eye. Me, I just about let the white man hurt me. I fought, but not hard enough.Kunta would have fought much harder. I even think that he started the fighting. I hope he be breathing and that he is not going through as much as we are.
When the white men attacked me and the other women it scared me. They treat us like animals, not like my tribe who gave me respect. I feel ashamed, like I let down my people for not being strong enough. The men forced themselves on us! I still can’t believe the horror. If I were in Africa I wouln’t be going through this misery.
Listening to the wrestler caused death to come upon us. He even caused death to come upon himself! The fighting ended badly with many gone. At least Kunta is still alive. Now I know what the white man can do and that nothing could be worse. Many seem to have lost home as I have. But Kunta hasn’t and as he said, “a Mandinka warrior will never give up.”
I feel so ashamed about how the white men treated me. I know that I shouldn’t fight any more. I need to stay alive and I know I would let down my people if I gave up, but I know I must do as the white men say. I know that nothing could be worse then the white man. Although the conditions in the cargo hold are harsh and threaten my health I may survive the voyage if I stop fighting.
I miss my family but how can I possibly see them again. If only I could be in Africa. Why did I have to be outsmarted by the white men. I hope that I will someday return to Africa , but first I must survive.
[I like your use of the word "ashamed"; a lot of people use it to mean the same thing as "guilty", which it isn't. I think it's the perfect word to sum up Fanta's emotional state. Well done. - Mr. Fladd]
Jamie R
Block a
The girl Kunta Kinta called “Fanta”
I didn’t lift my head when he first called out the name. When he said it again though I lifted my head a fraction, surprised that he was speaking and I wanted to know whom he was speaking to. But when I looked at him, his eyes were locked on me. He repeated the name, “Fanta”. Did I look like a friend he once knew? I knew for sure that I wasn’t this Fanta girl he was talking about. His eyes were wide, as if waiting for a response or any sign of recognition from me. I just looked towards Fiddler, wondering if he knew what the African boy was talking about. Had Fanta been his wife maybe? Was she left behind as he crossed the river with no shores? I remembered that awful voyage that I had gone on, across the water, the awful cuts on my back. The men were cruel, not showing us any mercy. There language was unfamiliar to me and I had no idea what they were talking about, so I was scared. Did Fanta help him through that voyage? “Did he just talk?” I asked Fiddler. They said he wouldn’t talk English, but I think he just had. I looked away and went back to my chores. I felt uncomfortable with him staring at me. I could feel his eyes boring into my back as I went back to washing the clothes. I wished he would look away.
[I'm pretty sure Aurelia was born in Virginia. It would have been her grandparents, or great-grandparents who were brought over from Africa. How do you think she felt about the things that happened to HER in this episode? How did she feel about having to sleep with Mr. Ames? How did she feel about Kunta Kinte being treated the way he was? Tell me more. - Mr. Fladd]
I would want to kill the master!!!
[Okay - that's a good start. Tell me more. Would you actually try to do it? How would you go about it if you were all chained up? Or, would you just FEEL like it and get more and more mad? Tell me more - I want to know what you would do if you were him. -Mr. Fladd]
Block A
[Late]
Kunta Kinte (just before running away):
The white men take me away from my home, my family and my future. All the other slaves don’t talk to me. Only Fiddler and Aorela. Aorela doesn’t talk much but she told me she knew that I had taken the cutting tool to cut the chains, but she hadn’t told anyone yet. Master Reynolds has put Fiddler in charge of me. Fiddler must teach me to be a good and hard-working slave. He must also teach me to speak the white mans language. Fiddler is a good man, but he has high respect for the white men who took us from our homes and lives. He sometimes confuses me though. He talks of running away when spring comes but he still respects Master Reynolds and never disrespects him. The night I got away, Fiddler had come to give me some left over cake from Master Reynolds birthday party. He told me that I was selfish to runaway, ruining how far up he had gotten. No slave ever got this high a respect from their owner. I wanted to argue and say no human being, what ever color, should be owned by another human being. But again, Fiddler confused me and acted as though he wanted us both to be free men just like the white men.
I ran all day and well into the night, but I laid down to take a nap and was woken up to the sound of hunting dogs. I ran and ran but fell and was dragged back to Master Reynolds farm. Master Reynolds was mad at Fiddler for failing him, so he gave the responsibility of teaching me to be a good slave and hard worker to Mr. Ames. When we had gotten back to the farm, I was tied to a long pole to dangle from some rope. Then, Mr. Ames had decided to whip me as punishment for running away and not accepting the “nice and thoughtful” name that Mr. Reynolds had given me. I didn’t want to or mean to, but the whip hurt so much that I gave in. And absentmindedly, I said my name, Toby. I will never for give myself, but then again, every time I was whipped, it felt as if a thousand little glass crystals were puncturing my back. Though I had to give in that time, I will never stop fighting.
[I like that line about never forgiving himself and "a thousand little glass crystals" - very descriptive. Please try to get your work turned in on time, next time. - Mr. Fladd]
Nicole C
Block A
I chose a slave working in the fields, watching Kunta Kinte work.
When I first saw him I was not sure what to think. He seemed so scared and lost. I knew not to go near him though, Fiddler told us not to. He isn’t like us, he behaves savage-like. He’s dangerous and if we aren’t careful then he might hurt us or he might get us hurt if he doesn’t do his work right. I can tell he has trouble with it. Of coarse he does he wasn’t born into it like most of us were. I’ll keep an eye on him, just in case. When he is more civil he might need a friend. I can’t imagine what it would be like. Being torn away from all everything you’ve ever known and have to learn everything all over again.
When I watch him he looks back at me but not for too long. I think he can tell when we look at him, like we know when we will get punished. Also I noticed he still has his chains on. Usually you would have your chains off by now. But he does seem stubborn and unwilling to forget his name. I admire his courage and his bravery. When you look at him, he has this look on his face. It’s like he knows what they want him to do, and what he should do, but he does what he wants to do and think is right. I just hope he knows what will keep him alive and what will cause him pain.
[Actually, American slaves would know EXACTLY what it was like to be torn away from their families - slaves were sold away from each other all the time and never saw each other again, even if they were family. I like how you have your character so concerned about not hurting Kunta Kinte's feelings. You have a kind heart. - Mr. Fladd]
Cheyenna S.
Block:B
Slave in slave pens waiting for auction.(Female)
[Late]
How could they do this to us? We never did them any harm to them, I don’t think. How could they just treat us like we are animals? We walk up there, and they just grab us and throw us around like we don’t have feelings, too! They makes us put ours arms back behind us to see our body figure. I think all white men are pigs! How would they like it if us blacks did this to their daughters? All of the women and children stand there and stare at us. Almost like they are in disgust with there husband’s. We really know they are not thought because if they were they wouldn’t let them treat us this way. All of the white men just stand around making rude and disgusting jokes about us girls. Like maybe we will make a good belly warmer for this one or that one. We all just have to stand there and listen in disgust. How could someone ever say that to someone they don’t even know? Why are they so sick? What if it was the other way around I wonder how they would feel, if we just took them from there home, the only place they knew, and did this to them? I know I feel like crap and I am pretty sure they would too! So us women were used for the men to screw around with and the men were used to help the other slaves they had before us to work in the fields!! Then on top of all of that when one of the men do something wrong they whip the crap out of them!! They do it right in front of us it is so wrong for them to treat us like this. I guess I am just always going to have to wonder because they will never tell us!!
[This is good. You do a good job of expressing outrage. Think about how you could break this up into paragraphs. It seems a little jumbled like this. This is your second really good essay in a row. You're doing well. - Mr. Fladd]
[Topic?]
[Block?]
Slaves are bad? Ha slaves are one of our best ideas, if you have the kind of money needed to pay for a slave you shouldn’t have to do work yourself. The blacks they catch speak in their strange tongue; usually don’t put up much of a fight. Slaves are good to have around because the more work that is done, the more money we get. The blacks usually got good strong bodies, good for work, they were made to be slaves, and to work the hard labor on the farm. When you by a slave, that’s less the money you got to spend on farm hands, besides slaves should be glad to work for us, roof on their heads, food in their bowls, and hard labor to keep them fit, it must be a lot better then that jungle they were in before. There seems to always be slaves out on those islands, and believe me the more the better, get a couple of slaves for the farm and barn keeps the load of work down. Those slaves have no emotion, their not even human, livestock, that’s what they are, livestock better then horses and cows, better then ox or bull. They work good, once they know the whip, once they’ve lashed a couple times, they don’t like those chains though, boy I’ll you they sure do put up a fight with those collars. Slaves are a good thing for the world of crops and the farming industry
[You did a good job of getting inside the head of one of these guys. Good work. Next time, please proof-read more carefully. Your reader will be distracted from your good ideas if your grammar and spelling doesn't make sense. - Mr. Fladd]
Dana B.
Block B
Fanta On The Auction Block
I think that fanta felt like she was big violated but the men that where looking. Another way is she may have felt kinda like a hocker. I think that I would try and kill my self i I was one of the slave girls with the men. Although wh sleeping and I would rather die instead of having to have sex with the guy that would have been almost 2 times my age. Maby for the guy its nice but I wouldn’t want tot be doing that with a slave that I didn’t now where she came from and why would he want to do some thing like that. Is what I want to know m not shore of how It would feel to her like fiscally. I would defiantly bring some kinda Sharpe object with me and then when the man went to sleep id kill..im thinking that most of this was what she was thinking when they where trying to show of her Brest. And when they where checking her teethe I think she mite have have been thinking im not and animal or just some freak of the wield or just some thinking you can have your way with or just do what you will. Thats what I think fanta was thinking when she was being sold.
[I think you're right. - Mr. Fladd]