This definitely wasn’t my favourite book that we’ve read probably do to the constant theme of cruelty and punishment that carries out during the novel. However with that being said I do think that this is a very important read because it further educates its readers about the tough and brutal realities of slavery and racism back in the past. I felt very sorry for the characters in the story because of all the horrible and traumatizing injustices they had to face and at such a young age, and I feel even worse when I consider the fact that this book as written partly on fact by the author. From my understanding this book is semi-autobiographical which after reading instantly brings me empathy towards the author and other characters in the book because they were most likely based on real people. It’s hard to imagine that people can live through such terrible conditions and it is definitely a huge reminder of how privileged I am and how I should deeply appreciate the fact that I have this privilege that unfortunately many people don’t.
I thought that the way the author split the story into 3 main parts really helped to emphasize where the character came from and where he ended up, and all the growth in-between. At the beginning when Jose (the main character) was living on the plantation my heart went out for him. I felt so deeply sad that he had no choice but to put up with the crusty and not only that but he had to witness his loved ones put up with such harsh living conditions and unfair demands. One can only imagine the damage that growing up in such an environment could have on a child and carry on throughput adulthood and life. I was a bit relieved when Jose finally went off to school simply because at least he could start to develop a bit of his own life and get away from the plantation. However he and many people were still treated terribly at school which didn’t make his transition from a plantation to school drastically better. Jose lived an incredibly difficult life and this book beautifully displays it all, the good and the bad.
My question for the class: Do you think that Jose went about things the correct way generally speaking? Or do you think that there are things that he could’ve done to make his life better and easier earlier on.
Hi Daelyn,
Thanks for your post
I think that the background of discrimination and poverty is crushing, and it is the author’s intention to show it through the experiences of a growing child. Still, in my reading, I did not perceive a depressive or traumatic spirit in the narration of the protagonist (which, as you mention, is autobiographical), but, as some classmates say in their blogs, with a particular joy of facing life, no matter how much harsh, unfair and terrible may be.
It would be interesting to contrast these experiences as readers during the class.
Best
Hi Daelyn,
I enjoyed reading your input on Black Shack Alley. Despite how cruel the living conditions were on the plantations, I somewhat picked up the feeling that Jose and his friends found the simple activities enjoyable in his early childhood. He faced many hardships in life but I never felt as if he let that disturb his motivation.
Daelyn – thank you for your insightful post on Black Shack Alley. This book absolutely opened up my eyes to a different perspective that I’ve never really read about; a perspective entrenched in racism, poverty, and trauma. I can totally understand why this was not your favourite read. Something that I picked up is how even though there are significant challenges that José faces, he still manages to find a love for his home. His love is something so unique in a book that has many opportunities to turn the story into something completely sad and depressing. It’s small, but something I noticed.
Hi Daelyn! I definitely agree with you that Jose’s harsh living conditions and relative poverty in school were hard to get through. To answer your questions, I think that in retrospect, we may look at Jose’s irresponsible actions (like setting Mr. Saint-Louis’s garden on fire) making his life unncessarily more difficult because of M’man Tine’s punishments, but it felt like most of his actions eventually contributed to him having a unique perspective on his life, and gave him the motivation he needed to succeed.
I think you make interesting points in your post. I agree that some of the parts in the book were difficult to read. However, I also think that the way it was handled by the author was helpful to see the cruelty but also understand the context that it was in.