Book Report 2013 Letter From A Slave Boy

Book Report: “Letter From A Slave Boy”  

Author of the book: Mary E. Lyons


   

    Have you ever read any letter from your grandparents about the slavery times. If you had,
how did you feel? What did you learn from it? How did it affect what you have become now, 
or in the future? Would you think that slavery still exists at the present time? As an 
individual, I've been asking myself “Am I taking actions to prevent slavery or taking advantage of the weaknesses of other people?” 



    I have been reading this book “Letter From A Slave Boy” by Mary E. Lyons.  The slave 
boy’s name was Joseph Jacobs. He was born into slavery in Edenton, a waterfront town in 
North Carolina. He lived  with his grandmother, Gran Molly and his sister, Lulu(Louisa) in 
North Carolina. Joseph had not seen his mother for more than seven years. His mother had 
been hiding in the attic of the same house where Joseph lived! Imagine how heartbreaking it is not to see your own mother and feel her embrace from the time you were born. For Joseph to express his longing to be with his mother and seeking for freedom, he wrote letters to his mama and loved ones. This book captivated my attention because it allows me to see the realities of life in slavery in the 19th century. It is a jaw-dropping book I have ever 
read in my life!!

  The theme for “Letters from a Slave Boy” is a very interesting piece of historical fiction. It teaches lessons of growing up, and how to be yourself and as free as you can be. As a young slave boy, Joseph tried so very hard not to think of himself as a slave. He tirelessly kept on finding for a place where he,
his mother and sister could truly enjoy life and freedom. I admire Joseph’s strong determination to gain freedom despite the difficulties he faced.

 The story’s specific setting was during the nineteenth century in Edenton, North Carolina. During that time African people worked as slaves. Once you were born into slavery, you’re slave forever. Your master does not like you to forget you’re his slave. It didn’t matter one of your parents was white. That parent would not acknowledge you as his or her child for fear of getting bad reputation. If the story’s setting would be the opposite-the time when Africans won their freedom through 18th amendment, everyone could have enjoyed life, freedom, and not worked as slaves. Families with parents of different races could have stayed together anytime and anywhere they want. Challenges of childhood could have been handled well and childhood memories could have been happier not devastated.            

  The novel is about a conflict between person and society. This conflict became evident when Harriet courageously decided to run away and hide from her master. The society in the south thinks that it is unacceptable for a slave to run away from their master. If the slave is captured, they are severely punished. Harriet has avoided this type of punishment by hiding in her grandmother’s attic because she wanted to be with her children though they didn’t know that she was in the attic.

  The other conflict in this book is person vs. self. Since Joseph was born to a white father, he could be easily seen as a white person. His father did not acknowledge Joseph as his child and left him as a slave, but Joseph wanted to stay white. Throughout the whole story, Joseph was fighting with himself to choose whether he should remain black, or white because of the good treatment he was getting. He wanted to remain white whenever he could so he could get into the “White Only” store. There were times also that he acted black so he could continue to work as a miner. However, he stayed as a black person in the end because for him it was the right thing to do.    


  The book structure is written in letter form which looks like a diary. Through these letters, he wrote about how he was growing up and escaping in search for freedom. When he just learned to write, he had spelling and grammar problems but as the story progressed, he improved in his spelling and grammar. In his initial letters, it was as if he was talking in person to his mother about his day to day routine. Joseph wrote about how he missed his mother so much and that he wanted to live with his mother instead of his grandmother. Joseph remembered that he had to learn how to write letters from a white boy Josiah Collins IV as trade for teaching him how to fish. Joseph and Josiah became best friends.



  At the mid part of the book, Joseph clearly described in his letters his situation as he traveled to find work so he could earn enough money to free his family, but it wasn’t a lot of money. So, he worked and gambled in order to have an enormous amount of money to buy back his family from the slaveholder, Dr. Norcom. As Joseph arrived at San Francisco Bay, he bought a newspaper and it grabbed his attention that in April, California passed its own Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. The Act established commissioners to issue warrants for slaves who had run away and reached Free states. Joseph knew the slaveholder would send a slave hunter to find him and take him to the judge and returned him back to his master. So, Joseph started to act like a “white” man.



Cause

                                                                                          

• Harriet, enslaved servant, got pregnant by a white man named Samuel Sawyer.
  

Effect: The slaveholder, Dr. Norcom, threatens and hurt Harriet because of her pregnancy.

• Harriet chose to hide from her slaveholder in the attic of the same house where Joseph lived   so she could be near to her children.
  

Effect: Dr. Norcom was enraged so he organized patrols to search for Harriet. He publicly offered a reward of $150 whoever captures her in North Carolina, and $300 for out of state.

• Harriet’s hiding place has been revealed.
  

Effect: Harriet decided to escape out of North Carolina. Before she escaped, Joseph finally got to see his mother again on the night she fled to the North to escape from the slave hunters who have been told where she was hiding. Harriet escaped to Boston, Massachusetts. To express his longing for his mother, Joseph wrote numerous very personal letters to his Mama.


Goodreads.com

• (By: Elaine Volpe http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/199833290)
  
  

  I agree with Elaine volpe’s quote “I highly recommend this novel that is based in one of America’s most turbulent times and on one of the most controversial historical topics of all time: slavery”. This novel helped me understand the realities in the life of someone who was born into slavery like Joseph.

• (By Leslie http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/103550237)
  
  

  I agree with Leslie’s review “It is based on a true story and though fairly simple, gives such a good idea of how it feels to always be looking over your shoulder for someone to capture you and return you to your master. Great book for kids to learn about slavery from the perspective of a child.” It is really interesting to learn about people’s experience during the slavery times.  Joseph’s bravery to face life and his fight for freedom makes me realized to appreciate all the more my family, friends, and the things I currently have in life.

• By: Miss Amanda http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/587564634)
  
  

  I agree with Miss Amanda’s review “I would recommend this story to someone who likes stories written in a journal/letter format or read the companion book Mary E. Lyons' "Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs".” I enjoy reading a book that is in letter form talking about Joseph’s day to day routine. Joseph clearly and completely described his real life situation. It helped me visualized how hard life is without a mother or a complete family, and being owned as a property of another person.



  In conclusion, I learned the realities of life in slavery in the 19th century through Joseph Jacobs’ experiences in his quest for freedom.  It is sad and difficult for Joseph Jacobs not being with his mother especially during his childhood. He tried so very hard to earn money so he could set his family free. I admire Joseph’s strong determination to gain freedom through blood, sweat and tears-just like our ancestors who fought for our freedom. Freedom is a great gift from them because it allows us to do what is best for our family, ourselves, and our country. Let us speak up for those who are not able to speak up for themselves. Let us be mindful of our actions by making sure that we do not enrich ourselves at the expense of other people. After all, this is what freedom is all about!

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