For this week’s reading, I read the novel “Black Shack Alley ” by Joseph Zobel. Before choosing this novel, I read a preface on it which deeply caught my attention and interest. I enjoy reading novels about real-life events/ history which is what this story entailed. The novel truly lived up to its expectations making it an amazing read. Furthermore, this novel was very insightful yet quite devastating to read as it touched on harsh issues of racism, white supremacy, poverty, slavery, and more. These are issues that have impacted people for centuries but more specifically it has left an everlasting influence on people of colour. This struggle and impact are showcased in the novel through Jose’s life story and his childhood set in the early twentieth century. 

Throughout Jose’s childhood, we can see the kids are trying to find the joys in life but are restricted by the adults and the circumstances surrounding them. The children find some freedom in their lives when the adults are at work but they do not understand the impacts their behaviours and mischief are having. The adults lived a very restrictive life and were hard at work in the cane fields under their white bosses which depicted the oppression at the time. I found this idea of freedom in childhood very touching and emotional as kids should be able to live their early lives without stress and hardships. I remember longing to be outside for most of the day playing with my friends while being a kid as those were the little things to look forward to. 

Additionally, another aspect of the story that was quite impactful was the concept of education and Jose’s desperation to receive an education. The opportunity to get an education is sometimes something that can be taken for granted. Not everyone gets the same opportunities and it was fulfilling knowing that Jose was able to attend school in the second part of the story. Further, I enjoyed how this novel told the story of oppressed people instead of the interactions between the oppressed and their oppressors. Most of the novels I have read have been from the perspective of the oppressed versus the oppressor. Although this novel is about oppression and racism it is focused on one group of people and did not highlight the perspective of the oppressors. I think this narrative makes the story very powerful and different from other literature of this time. It is important that the voices of the oppressed are heard and their story is told to their liking. With that being said, Black Shack Alley invoked many emotions and perceptions but was a great read. 

Discussion Question:

What were your thoughts regarding the perspective in which the story was told from?