In the novel The Known World by Edward P.Jones, the theme of most family life is chaotic, sorrow and a little bit of happiness. Because of the slavery, black family life faced more hard time than white family. They faced hunger, punishment and separation from their family. Meanwhile, white family is more calm and peaceful.
The institution slavery that practiced by both black and white people has huge affected on Augustus’s family life, one of the slaves that worked for Mr. Robbin William. Augustus’s family was a slave that bought by Mr. Robin William. But when Augustus bought his freedom, he still has to buy the freedom of his wife and a son. Augustus is conflicted. He doesn’t want to leave his child or his wife to work as slaves, but he
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Moses and Bessie are slaves from Alexandria’s slave. Alexandria known to have the best slave. After got Moses and Bessie. Jean Broussard sold Moses to Mr. Robbin William. Moses begged Mr. Robbin William not to separate him and his wife. But Mr. Robbin William only want to buy him. Bessie began to cry, but Mr. Robbin William still ignores her and Moses. After two weeks, Bessie sold to a blind man and his wife in Roanoke. Since then Moses and his wife, Bessie, got separated from each other. Slavery made this family separated from one another. This family broke up, because it’s very rare for a husband and wife to meet each other again after sold out to a different owner. They will love someone else while they work for a different owner, because the chance of meeting each other are very low. Later on, Moses has different wife name Priscilla, soon he forgot about Bessie.
In conclusion, slavery has a mostly bad affect on the theme of family life. Most families got separated from each other and never meet each other again until they die. The other lost the comfort of family and those things can never make up by anything. Like Henry, he didn’t get any comfort from his parents, and he can only learn from his slave owner Mr. Robin William. This maybe the what made Henry different from his parents and has an influence on him to become the slave