ipl-logo

Analysis Of Elijah Of Buxton

704 Words3 Pages
Elijah of Buxton, written by Christopher Paul Curtis, is set in a small settlement of runaway slaves in Buxton, Canada in 1860. The settlement compromises of fields with horses and mules along with thick woods. This book takes place during a time of slavery in the United States. Runaways from Kentucky and other Southern states came to Buxton to be free from slavery with the help of abolitionists. In Buxton, there were also children who were born free such as Emma Collins, who is used by the town to draw in runaways, and Elijah Freeman. Elijah Freeman, the protagonist and main character of the book, is the first child in town to be born free. He is known all around town for this, however, Elijah is also known as a very “fra-gile” boy who is fearful of the smallest things and who is prone to talking too much at times. This place, and time period especially, impacts the whole book; without the setting, there is no story or conflict. At this time in history, people would try to buy their families out of slavery which is what Mr. Leroy, one of Elijah’s good friends, wanted to accomplish. Mr. Leroy had spent over 5 years working hard trying to earn money to free his family. However, it doesn’t work out exactly as planned. Elijah is forced to head down to Michigan, another area where the book takes place, with Mr. Leroy where he encounters many hardships and conflicts with himself and others.
The language usage throughout the book also helps make the setting seem more realistic and
Open Document