After finishing "The Book of Negroes" we read that the focus of the last portion of the book is about Aminiata struggle to find a place to live, where she can be the strong and independent women that she has become. Their are many aspects of Aminiata's life that can be seen in light of the feminist movement. While living in Africa, Aminiata wants to travel back to her home town where she was born, Bayo. She was required to travel with a group of African scouts and hunter as they were the only people willing to make the dangerous trip into the interior of Africa. Aminiata did not like the way that the head guide spoke to her, "I didn't like the way Alassane issued orders. It made me wonder if men would try to speak to me like that when I got home, and if all my time of living independently had made me unfit for village life in Bayo."(Hill, pg485) Aminiata feels that the men are treating her as if she is stupid and uneducated because she is a women, but Aminiata over hears a conversation between Alassane and the other men "No. She is clever. She counts and reasons and argues like a man. Be carful. She speaks Temne, English and Bamanankan." (Hill, pg483) Now that she is back in her home country, it becomes apparent to her that she has grown far beyond any small feminist progress that has taken place in Africa. Aminiata now after travelling to far more progressive land and cultures she decides that African is still very much a male dominating country where she no longer fits in because of her strong feminist views.
Aminiata leaves Africa and travels to England to help support the Abolitionist fight in Parliament. Their fight is to abolish the slave trade but doesn't help to seek equality between men and women. This is apparent while Aminiata is being interviewed, as their main reason for inviting her to England was to record her life story and the abuse she suffer for being an African slave. The men assumed that Aminiata would just let them write the story of her life. Assuming they were more capable of re-telling her life accurately and with proper attention to detail. Aminiata is quick to say that they will not be writing the story for her, and she is more than capable of writing her own life story. These men can't comprehend the fact that Aminiata is a brilliant and well education women who is more than able to speak for herself, women, and black peoples. The men seem oblivious to this concept.
We learn through the feminist view point that Aminiata is an example of an early feminist leader, despite living in a time where women were considered inferior to men. Aminiata is constantly working to improve women's rights for equality even though the abolitionist in England are not. The abolitionist are using Aminiata, a women to accomplish their goal of ending the slave trade.
Through the feminist literary criticism see are able to understand the concept that Aminiata goals were two fold. One to help abolish the slave trade, bring freedom to all people and two standing up for the rights of women.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI also read, The Book of Negroes, and enjoyed your post very much. I agree with your points and think that Aminata was a feminist leader. I also think that her act of feminism would not be possible without influence of strong women within her life. Do you agree with this? Do you think that Ba, Georgia, and even Dolly can be seen as early feminists as well?
Thanks,
Sarah Long