The Book Of Negroes

Upon finishing The Book of Negroes, I can't help but feel disappointment that the story is over. The amazing journey of Aminata has captivated me the last couple of months, and I am already experiencing withdrawal from this amazing novel! This book has been one of very few that I have read in my life and connected with. This story will certainly stay with me. I look forward to exploring more of Hill's work.

Social Experiments & Theories

Dr. Zimbardo's Prison Experiment was run to investigate the causes of conflict between guards and prisoners. Half of the subjects were chosen to play the role as prisoners and the other half the role of guards. The guards were allowed to inflict upon their prisoners psychological torture but no physical torture. Zimbardo wanted to test the hypothesis that the innate personality traits of prisoners and guards are ultimately the source of abusive behavior in captivity. He also aimed to induce disorientation, depersonalization, and deindividualization in the participants. He told his guards that "you can create in the prisoners feelings of boredom, a sense of fear to some degree, you can create a notion of arbitrariness that their life is totally controlled by us, by the system, you, me, and they'll have no privacy ... We're going to take away their individuality in various ways. In general what all this leads to is a sense of powerlessness. That is, in this situation we'll have all the power and they'll have none."


This experiment connects to The Book of Negroes in several ways. The first that comes to mind is the dehumanization of many black characters in the story. Throughout the story they change in savage and even animalistic ways. This is a result of how their captors are controlling and interacting with them. The prisoners are driven to feeling powerless, hopeless, and in to despair - or even insanity. On the same hand, two prisoners on the ship stood out and above the captivity: Biton and Aminata. Biton, regardless of his situation, maintained poise and control. He became a rebel leader against the captors. This was due to his inherent traits as a leader. Amimnata at that point even refused to give up; refused to be controlled. She let the captors believe they were in control, when in fact, they were not completely - although at some points they certainly were. The undying spirit and fight in Aminata led to her freedom and liberation - regardless of being a prisoner of slavery.

Obstacles

A conflict I have recently - and unfortunately - experienced in my life is being insulted due to my sexuality. I don't find this to be something I come by often at all, but when such a conflict occurs I go about it in the most sophisticated way possible. The cause of these insults (or acts) is typically ignorance; it's simply the best solution to be the bigger person. This takes a lot of self discipline, which I have grown to use as a skill more and more every day. "Coming out" and being insulted due to my sexuality hasn't changed me so much as it has opened my eyes to the world. I have become more sympathetic towards others as days go by, which is a trait I cherish very much. I've also learnt that it's important to take criticism and use it to make you stronger.