Is Nightjohn Historically Accurate?

Is Nightjohn Historically Accurate?

In the United States, the history of slavery is a controversial topic that is discussed around the entire globe from the constant struggles in the plantation, to the relationships of the slaves and their owners. The novel, Nightjohn, is about a young slave girl, Sarny, who undergoes her life as usual until a particular slave named, John, comes to the Waller plantation to teach the other slaves how to read and write in order for them to document the horrid treatments the slaves are given to each day. Although Gary Paulsen’s novel, Nightjohn, is considered historical fiction, the descriptions of brutal punishments, harsh restrictions, and broken family structures can be corroborated by multiple sources which

This idea of brutal punishments can be confirmed in Nightjohn, when John tells Waller that he was teaching Sarny how to read and write and Waller, himself, took matters into his own hands and cut John’s toes off! The idea of these completely brutal punishments can be supported by the accounts by the professional violinist, Solomon Northup, himself, in his autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave, by stating that, “The dogs used on Bayon Boeuf for hunting slaves are a kind of blood-hound, but a far more savage breed than is found in the Northern States. They will attack a negro, at their master's bidding, and cling to him as the common bull-dog will cling to a four footed animal.” This quote explicitly describes the savageness of the dogs entirely, due to the ways the owners treat and feed those ferocious beasts. Another piece of evidence is that in the passionate writing of Mingo White, it expresses that, “I kept up too, to keep from getting any lashes..” This shows how each slave lives in constant fear of brutal punishments for slowing down the production of cotton and other good. As shown here, Nightjohn, is historically accurate due to its accurate knowledge of the horrid punishments which were proven in the Mingo White’s Narrative and Solomon Northup’s, Twelve Years a

As portrayed in Nightjohn, harsh restrictions were shown in depth when Sarny was caught writing in the dirt by Waller and beaten by him. THe harsh restriction put upon slave in each plantation can be shown in MIngo White’s narrative, when he states, “Old Master Crawford told us if they ask us if we are sick, to tell them that we have never been sick in our lives.” This quote shows the constant fear for punishments during all of the restrictions that the applied in the life of each slave. This paragraph shows that the harsh punishments had a big impact of slavery because the slaves were in constant fear of punishments of their