ISP Blog Post #5

Post colonial Literary Theory

In the novel, The Book of Negroes, there are many cultures and religions that are under the control of the British Empire. To start off with most of Africa, Jamaica, and several other islands. The American's were also under the control of the British for some part of the book. I feel that Aminata got the chance to experience all of these. When she was young she practiced Muslim and the Qumran. After she was brought to America she saw that others practiced Christianity and other religions too.

There were many languages spoken throughout the book by various people. Aminata herself was able to speak about four languages. English, french, and several African languages were spoken.

Though people were not stopped from practicing their religion, or speaking their language (except when in the states), people had many misconceptions about the other cultures. For example on page 494 when Aminata is speaking to a young African, the girl believes that the white people eat the African Americans. And on the other hand the white people thought that they were saving the blacks from some barbarck death. Really neither is true, but both truly believed. 

I think that learning all about these other cultures, languages, and religions was a blessing for Aminata in such a rough time of her life. She came to know many languages, she got to observe the different ways women cared for their babies and ow they carried them on their back. She got to see how different everyone dressed and how they interacted with each other.

For the most part I found that the whites were influenced by the British not to associate with other cultures, and in turn made a very tense divide of people. The way Aminata describes her stays in Africa seems much more comforting than the stays in places ruled by the British. The colony's people do not seem to have as much humility as the Africans did. Aminata was often not welcome in many places in the states, but in Africa people went beyond what they had to do to help her out. 

Overall I think that the post colonial view of things really brings tings to light and explain why things were the way they were