Book Study #4
There are several themes that are portrayed throughout my novel The Book of Negroes. One theme that reoccurs multiple times for the protagonist is 'seperation'. Since the beginning of the book Aminata is seperated from her friends, family and life itself, having to depend on the people she meets in each stop of her journey. Although her husband Chekura does return to her, he is sent to another plantation some time before the birth of their first son Mamadu,shortly after Mamadu's arrival he is too sold to another family by their owner Appleby Robinson. When Aminata gives up all hope she is sent to Charles Town- and seperated from her mother figure Georgia. Nevertheless her husband returns to her for one night and she becomes pregnant once more. When she arrives in New York City she gives birth to her second child who she names May. After 3 years of raising her daughter she believes this is her second chance, although May is taken from her and leaves New York with the Witherspoons- a family she was working for at the time and also finding out her long lost love Chekura had died at sea. Seperation takes a toll on Aminata and through the devestation she cannot stand to lose another thing in her life. At the end of the book Aminata is reunited with her missing daughter who is now 18 years old, and the two spend as much time with eachother during Aminata's last days; being with May until the end and dying as a free woman.