After reading Black Shack Alley, I really enjoyed this novel. I have read stories with similar themes like colonialism, supremacy, and poverty, but nothing like how the main character reconciles with these themes. At the beginning of the book, the main character is almost sort of naive to the idea of his grandparents and the other parents as enslaved peoples; their absence while working is seen as something positive where the kids get a break from parents, which speaks to his perspective. I find it interesting that the narrator refers to ‘the overseer’ and ‘the house’ to what I believe are certain aspects of the bosses and their plantation’s functions. Its like the kids know what they are and their purposes, but don’t fully grasp it yet because they’re simply children (little do we know that this’ll change!!). Nevertheless, authority attempts to keep them in check; for example, majority of the kids fear what’ll happen if they disobey their parents (especially M’man Tine). For example, on page 27 when M’man Tine is describing her upbringing, her daughters upbringing, and past that led her to parent José; she seems incredibly tired and fed up, and I have a great deal of sympathy for her, and for him. Another example is when the kids start the fire and are seriously reprimanded because of it. The Shack Alley in which they live is not just shelter for them, but is a place away from the plantation and its gruesome work; I don’t think its appropriate for me to call it a place of comfort, because the whole situation is based around the plantation and living in extreme poverty.

However, it seems as if there are certain aspects that bring comfort, like the explanation of what happens on Saturday nights, and the experiences the kids have of playing with each other. The people living in Shack Alley are stuck in a life controlled by white supremacy, enslavement, and injustice. Even José’s friend Mr. Medouze speaks of it (rip; I loved his character and his relationship with José), colonialism and white supremacy are not themes that are blind to the characters of the book, but is something very present and influential. The more the story progresses, the more I see that the main character is becoming aware of what his life really is. After he is tasked with working with M’man Tine, he really grasps what little freedom he has, what his future may look like, and how little he is to receive for his efforts. However, it seems confusing to me that he originally says he enjoys this way of life; is he still unaware of how difficult and painstaking it is? 

Originally when I was reading the book, I was nervous as to why M’man Tine wanted to send José away to school, but then grew to thoroughly appreciate the idea. M’man Tine shows how much she loves and wants José to succeed, which I think is truly beautiful. Her character reminds me of a protective parent who wants the best for her children, grandchildren and future generations; they want a better life for them in comparison to what she has lived. Their relationship is ultimately founded on love and protection, and although she gets fiercely angry with José, she wants the best for him. Another important component in the novel was José’s homesickness and feelings when he was sent to school. Comparing his life in Martinique to his life at school are very different, which I think is an interesting observation in the novel; a question I constantly found myself thinking about was ‘what would José’s life be like had he not gone to school? Conversely, what would his life be like had he not have influences like M’man Tine, Mr. Medouze, and the experience of growing up on the plantation to shape his ideologies?’ Thinking of alternate perspectives of characters and story plots always help me engage with their personalities and character motivations better. I hope you think about them too!