From Page 23
"But what is wanted is strong black youths," the Captain excitedly, slapping Spark on his shoulder. "I won't have Ibos. They're soft as melons and kill themselves if they're not watched twenty-four hours a day. I will not put up with such creatures!"
This piece of dialogue is said by Captain Cawthorne when he is talking to the first mate Nicholas Spark when Jessie is meeting him for the first time right after being kidnapped. The dialogue is very powerful because it shows the Captain seeing the slaves as animals and "creatures" when he exclaims his last sentence. A reader can sense his ruthlessness and merciless character because he knows exactly what we wants when it comes to this trade and will do anything to get what he wants.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Symbolism
Passage from page 8
"...There was one pretty object in the room, a basket of colored spools of thread which sat on the sill of the window facing Pirate's Alley. By candlelight, the warmth of the colors made me think the thread would throw off a perfume like a garden of flowers.
But these spools were not used for our clothes. They were for the silks and muslins and laces which my mother made into gowns for the rich ladies of New Orleans to wear to their balls and receptions, their weddings and the baptism of their infants, and sometimes to their funerals..."
An important example of symbolism in The Slave Dancer would be the basket of colorful thread that is the symbolic thread of his family's life that binds them together and provides for the family. Because Jessie's mother is a dressmaker who sews clothing and dresses for the wealthy women of New Orleans, she relies on this thread to live and support her family, so they are fully dependent on the thread she uses to make a living. Also, according to the book, the colorfulness of the thread in the basket remind Jessie of the life he would like to have (the rich, the opulent, and colorful lifestyle), which is a sharp contrast to the dull, dreary walls that surround Jessie's home.
"...There was one pretty object in the room, a basket of colored spools of thread which sat on the sill of the window facing Pirate's Alley. By candlelight, the warmth of the colors made me think the thread would throw off a perfume like a garden of flowers.
But these spools were not used for our clothes. They were for the silks and muslins and laces which my mother made into gowns for the rich ladies of New Orleans to wear to their balls and receptions, their weddings and the baptism of their infants, and sometimes to their funerals..."
An important example of symbolism in The Slave Dancer would be the basket of colorful thread that is the symbolic thread of his family's life that binds them together and provides for the family. Because Jessie's mother is a dressmaker who sews clothing and dresses for the wealthy women of New Orleans, she relies on this thread to live and support her family, so they are fully dependent on the thread she uses to make a living. Also, according to the book, the colorfulness of the thread in the basket remind Jessie of the life he would like to have (the rich, the opulent, and colorful lifestyle), which is a sharp contrast to the dull, dreary walls that surround Jessie's home.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Irony
An important example of irony that author Paula Fox uses is to have the character act out or say something that is out of character when in reality the character is actually for the complete opposite of what he is claiming. For example, when Jessie first comes aboard The Moonlight, Benjamin Stout is the only crew member who shows kindness towards and "looks out" for Jessie. Yet, Jessie did not like Benjamin Stout and always felt an uneasy presence whenever he was around even though he acted kind on the surface. Instead, Jessie finds trust in Clay Purvis who is a rowdy, coarse, and rough man, but he feels a sort of kinship and safety when Purvis is around. The passage below illustrates the ironic twist of the role of trust in the setting and also Jessie's uncertainty. This passage is on pg 37.
"...That thought led me to wonder why I didn't like Benjamin Stout. I suprised myself...And Stout treated me kindly, showing me things the rest of the crew wouldn't have troubled themselves with, getting me extra helpings of rice and beef while Curry had his back turned, steaming away his brains over his cook stove.
But it was Purvis whom I was eager to see when I awoke in the morning, Purvis, with his horrible coarse jokes, his bawling and cursing, Purvis, whom I trusted."
Another important example of irony would be in this passage on page 82.
"Take you," he said. "How are your spirits?"
"...I feel this way and that way,'"I said, "but never the way I once did when I lived at home in New Orleans."
"I want a plain answer."
"I hate this ship!"I said with all the force I could, with what little courage I had in the face of Stout's menace.
...A second later, I saw his teeth gleam. "That must mean you hate me too."
"I didn't say so,"I said.
"Hatred poisons the soul,"he observed. "It is an incurable ailment."
This passage is highly ironic because it shows Jessie and Stout squaring off against each other, and then Stout stating that "Hatred poisons the soul. It is an incurable ailment." This is a very ironic statement because the whole ship reeks of hatred and prejudice towards the slaves, and Stout is one of the main epitomes of hatred and cruelty.
"...That thought led me to wonder why I didn't like Benjamin Stout. I suprised myself...And Stout treated me kindly, showing me things the rest of the crew wouldn't have troubled themselves with, getting me extra helpings of rice and beef while Curry had his back turned, steaming away his brains over his cook stove.
But it was Purvis whom I was eager to see when I awoke in the morning, Purvis, with his horrible coarse jokes, his bawling and cursing, Purvis, whom I trusted."
Another important example of irony would be in this passage on page 82.
"Take you," he said. "How are your spirits?"
"...I feel this way and that way,'"I said, "but never the way I once did when I lived at home in New Orleans."
"I want a plain answer."
"I hate this ship!"I said with all the force I could, with what little courage I had in the face of Stout's menace.
...A second later, I saw his teeth gleam. "That must mean you hate me too."
"I didn't say so,"I said.
"Hatred poisons the soul,"he observed. "It is an incurable ailment."
This passage is highly ironic because it shows Jessie and Stout squaring off against each other, and then Stout stating that "Hatred poisons the soul. It is an incurable ailment." This is a very ironic statement because the whole ship reeks of hatred and prejudice towards the slaves, and Stout is one of the main epitomes of hatred and cruelty.
Poem Relating to an Important Theme
"Confused Feelings"
by Alondra Gonzalez
Feeling of dread
Lost in a world of confusion and pain
Not knowing what to do anymore
Hurt from the unknown
Yearning for the impossible
Wanting to be with them
When nothing else matters
Other than to be within hearing distance of them
Lost from the world of joy
That was once a upon a time
Now it’s come to an ending
With nothing but complete disaster
There’s a times when you can only take so much
And now it’s the time
This heart has gone through too much
And has finally given up on this world
Its sorrow has confused it
And now it wants to give up
But can it…
Wouldn’t that be failure?
There are many important themes pertaining to The Slave Dancer such as survival, trust, imprisonment, and prejudice, but I think the most powerful theme would be the theme of guilt and confusion. Guilt is very much present throughout the novel, as all the characters in one way or another come to experience guilt for what they've done, what they've been doing, and what they could've done. Confusion is equally present throughout the novel because Jessie is at many times unable to decide who to trust, what to do, and which voice in his mind to follow.
This poem by Alondra Gonzalez communicates the message of the burdens of confusion, hopelessness, and loss. This poem relates to the theme of guilt and confusion in The Slave Dancer because Jessie's confusion becomes an obstacle and prevents him from seeing the truth and coming to terms with and acceptin himself and the actions he has to take to survive, even if they are morally contradicting to himself.
by Alondra Gonzalez
Feeling of dread
Lost in a world of confusion and pain
Not knowing what to do anymore
Hurt from the unknown
Yearning for the impossible
Wanting to be with them
When nothing else matters
Other than to be within hearing distance of them
Lost from the world of joy
That was once a upon a time
Now it’s come to an ending
With nothing but complete disaster
There’s a times when you can only take so much
And now it’s the time
This heart has gone through too much
And has finally given up on this world
Its sorrow has confused it
And now it wants to give up
But can it…
Wouldn’t that be failure?
There are many important themes pertaining to The Slave Dancer such as survival, trust, imprisonment, and prejudice, but I think the most powerful theme would be the theme of guilt and confusion. Guilt is very much present throughout the novel, as all the characters in one way or another come to experience guilt for what they've done, what they've been doing, and what they could've done. Confusion is equally present throughout the novel because Jessie is at many times unable to decide who to trust, what to do, and which voice in his mind to follow.
This poem by Alondra Gonzalez communicates the message of the burdens of confusion, hopelessness, and loss. This poem relates to the theme of guilt and confusion in The Slave Dancer because Jessie's confusion becomes an obstacle and prevents him from seeing the truth and coming to terms with and acceptin himself and the actions he has to take to survive, even if they are morally contradicting to himself.
A Character's Quotes: Insight on Clay Purvis
These quotes are actually from the character of Clay Purvis who becomes acquaintances with Jessie and is the main person Jessie is able to trust on the ship. Purvis is an irishman and is depicted as an ignorant, rough, and abrasive pirate, but he has lived a hard life, so he often unconciously gives Jessie advice on many life matters. Purvis' sometimes indifference to certain events and experiences that others find revolting and shocking, are prime examples of his character and personality which are apparent in these quotes.
"You'll see some bad things, but if you didn't see them, they'd still be happening..."
Purvis says this as Jessie is being taken to the slave ship. Jessie is only thirteen, but as Purvis observes, he is not too young to see the harsh truths of life; his not knowing about them will not make them any less real.
"...they wouldn't have passed laws against slaving if they hadn't found something else as profitable...that's the way of things"
Purvis's observation expresses the sad truth behind the motives of the slave trade. He knows many things that Jessie eventually comes to know.
"You'll see some bad things, but if you didn't see them, they'd still be happening..."
Purvis says this as Jessie is being taken to the slave ship. Jessie is only thirteen, but as Purvis observes, he is not too young to see the harsh truths of life; his not knowing about them will not make them any less real.
"...they wouldn't have passed laws against slaving if they hadn't found something else as profitable...that's the way of things"
Purvis's observation expresses the sad truth behind the motives of the slave trade. He knows many things that Jessie eventually comes to know.
Conflicts
One of the most important conflicts in the novel is Jessie's internal struggles with the treatment of the slaves which impact his morals because he is unable to do anything about it vs his will for survival and his obedience of the crew and captain which enables him to remain alive, but he is still aprehended by the guitl of helping to handle the slaves. Here is a passage from pg 69 that illustrates the mixed feelings Jessie feels about the slaves and the burdens of moral ineptitude he faces.
"The slaves were all looking at the place where the woman had been thrown overboard. Sick and stooped, half-starved by now, and soiled from the rarely cleaned holds, they stared hopelessly at the empty horizon...I found a dreadful thing in my mind...I hated the slaves! I hated their shuffling, their howling, their very suffering! I hated the way they spat out their food upon the deck, the overflowing buckets, the emptying of which tried all my strength. I hated the foul stench that came from the holds no matter which way the wind blew, as though the ship itself were soaked with human excretment. I would have snatched the rope from Spark's hand and beaten them myself! Oh, God! I wished them all dead! Not to hear them! Not to smell them! Not to know of their existence!..."
This passage is important in illustrating the conflict because this is the perfect example of how Jessie feels empathy for the slaves from the way he notices their half-starved bodies, poor condition and hopelessness, but this passage also hints at the disdain Jessie feels toward the slaves for putting him in a position he does not want to be in, and the fact that he thinks the slaves are the cause of Jessie's own hopelessness. This passage depicts Jessie's misplacement of anger and fear and also illustrates his own bewildered and lost soul.
"The slaves were all looking at the place where the woman had been thrown overboard. Sick and stooped, half-starved by now, and soiled from the rarely cleaned holds, they stared hopelessly at the empty horizon...I found a dreadful thing in my mind...I hated the slaves! I hated their shuffling, their howling, their very suffering! I hated the way they spat out their food upon the deck, the overflowing buckets, the emptying of which tried all my strength. I hated the foul stench that came from the holds no matter which way the wind blew, as though the ship itself were soaked with human excretment. I would have snatched the rope from Spark's hand and beaten them myself! Oh, God! I wished them all dead! Not to hear them! Not to smell them! Not to know of their existence!..."
This passage is important in illustrating the conflict because this is the perfect example of how Jessie feels empathy for the slaves from the way he notices their half-starved bodies, poor condition and hopelessness, but this passage also hints at the disdain Jessie feels toward the slaves for putting him in a position he does not want to be in, and the fact that he thinks the slaves are the cause of Jessie's own hopelessness. This passage depicts Jessie's misplacement of anger and fear and also illustrates his own bewildered and lost soul.
Film Star and Persona relating to the Character
In the movie The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence's character of Katniss Everdee relates to the character of Jessie. For one, they are both young people who have lived very sheltered and narrow lives without experiences from outside their confines. Also, they are both caught in two very different horrible situations that leaves both of them scarred and forces them both to seek a higher value in themselves and test both their mental and physical limits. Also, they both are caught in a battle to survive, but are both also tested by their moral strength as their morals decrease their possibilities of survival. For example, Katniss has a strong desire to survive and win the game for her little sister, but at the same time she battles with herself over the killing of people and also the killing of Peeta, who is from her district and whom she knows personally. For Jessie, he is caught in a battle between his survival and his empathy for the slaves, which he knows will get him into danger because of the mutinous crew and cruel captain. Both Jessie and Katniss both emerge out of their respective situations as different people and have grown and matured more than their age.
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