What Is The Theme Of Master Of Poisons

Master of Poisons is a novel written by Andrea Hairston about an African-inspired world filled with magic that is on the verge of ecological catastrophe. Although this novel is a fantasy story and was written in the contemporary period, many of the themes present in the book are reflected in works written in the mid-1900s including the essay “Poetry is not a Luxury” by Audre Lorde, the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and Margaret Walker’s poem, “For My People.” The themes that were relevant around the time of the Civil Rights Movement are still important today as seen through the comparison of these works. Andrea Hairston illustrates themes of the importance of sharing stories to preserve culture, the idea that those in power oppress

This power can be used to connect different groups of people together and to pass down knowledge. In the book, the griots in the story learn the stories of other regions and cultures as a way to connect to other people. Yari, a master griot describes her role when she says: “I’ve traveled farther than any griot and listened to many hearts. I hold all people. I've persuaded emperors to peace. Xhalan Xhala. I carry the past to the future. Take heart in the story I tell” (Hairston, 204). Griots share stories from different cultures, bringing people of different races together. Additionally, the sharing of stories allows the characters to pass on knowledge and traditions from generation to generation. In Audre Lorde’s essay, “Poetry is not a Luxury,” there is a similar theme that there is great strength in the sharing of stories. While Hairston’s main use of the theme is to illustrate the strength in using stories to bring people together, Lorde’s focus of this theme is to demonstrate the power of storytelling to share one’s thoughts and experiences with the world. Lorde argues that poetry is a

In the book, Awa is sacrificed to be the chief’s wife of another tribe, the Zamanzi. Her husband abuses the power he has over her in several ways that cause physical and mental harm to Awa. For example, she is forced to give blood offerings, illustrated in the passage: “Acolytes sliced Awa on the stone floor. The pain was sharp at the slice but faded to a dull ache as blood oozed from her good arm into a metal bowl” (Hairston, 221). Awa is forced to give blood offerings which causes much physical harm to her. This action illustrates the theme that those who have power often abuse their power, causing harm to those they have control over. This theme is also seen in Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man. In the story a group of young Black men are forced by White men to fight each other blindfolded as described in the passage: “‘see that guy over there? One of the men said. ‘I want you to run across at the bell and give it to him right in the belly. If you don’t get him, I’m going to get you. I don’t life his looks.’ Each of us was told the same. The blindfolds were put on” (Ellison, 267). The White men, who are the ones in power, force those who they have power over, the young Black men, to perform an act that they do not want to do, when they are forced to fight each other. Within American society at this time,