Book Of Negroes Analysis

My verbal visual essay is based on the novel The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. The aspect of the novel I decided to focus on is the protagonist, Aminata Diallo. To begin, the focal point of this piece is a woman's face with a map of the world on it. I drew the face with Amniata in mind, and incorporated the moon marks that are adorned on her face. Her facial expression is also rather difficult to read. From the beginning of novel, Aminata says: "My eyes are hard to read, and I like them so"(8). She takes great care in concealing her emotions. Furthermore, the map symbolizes Aminata's travels. She has sailed many lengthy transcontinental voyages, such as from Africa to America. As she says in the novel, "... I have weathered enough migrations

From the beginning of the novel, Aminata took great pride in the fact that she was a free born Muslim. She found pleasure in participating in the rituals of Islam, and being capable of writing a few prayers her father taught her in Arabic. However, her regards to Islam altered drastically after she was captured. She tried countless times to pray, but she was always discouraged from the threats of her captors to the warnings of the others captured. Aminata was forced to push her religion aside. Through all the horrible things she had to endure, Aminata’s kidnappers forced her to question her religion and her faith in Allah. Throughout her life, she met with people from various religions, and was exposed to Christianity from Georgia and Daddy Moses, and Judaism from Solomon Lindo, all of which confused Aminata and made her further question her regards to her religion. A shading technique was used where the colour became fainter in the centre, to represent the gradual loss of Aminata’s religion. However, colour is still slightly visible, to represent that Aminata never fully lost her faith in God, but it became a mere shadow of what it once

This symbol represents how Aminata regained her freedom. Books became a large part of who she was, and she was an avid reader and writer. It was because of this knowledge that she was able to achieve freedom, regain her voice, and eventually joins the Abolitionist Movement. Beside the novel there is paper with a quill and ink bottle. This is to further represent how Aminata regained control of her life. She was the one who documented the book of negroes a very historic ledger that enabled freedom for many slaves. She also wrote her own experience of slavery in the hopes of helping it be eradicated. Above the novel is a phoenix. It symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and transformation. It represents how Aminata has transformed throughout the novel. Although she went through many hardships, she was able to pull through. In Greek myths, the phoenix bursts into flames, but after several days, it rises from the ashes reborn. Aminata did the same. She never gave up hope or lost her determination, and was therefore was able to become