Name: Anoushka Dasgupta

Class Period: 6th

Word Sentence Correct Dictionary Definition

Trifling Slaves were beat for the most trifling incidents.

Something that has little value or importance.

Disfiguring One day while my mammy was washing her back my sister noticed ugly disfiguring scars on it.

To damage the appearance or shape of.

Hasp A chain of iron about a hundred feet in length was passed through the hasp of each padlock, except at the two ends, where the hasps of the padlock passed through a link of chain.

A clasp for a door, lid, especially one passing over a staple and fastened by a pin or a padlock.

Grim And from slaves’ point of view the picture was even more grim.

Having a hard look or manner ; stern ; hard.

Piazza It was two stories high with a piazza in front.

A large porch on a house: veranda

I think the author wrote this book to inform and explain. This book informs you about slavery and explains to you

what it was like being a slave. The intended audience for this book would

be adults and teenagers.

The text structure the author used for this book is quite unique. It seems as if the book copied word for word on what the slaves said about slavery. The slaves used different grammar

and different words than we usually use. This structure though is hard to understand, it

actually helps you as a reader because you understand better how the slaves really are

like and how they talk.

Anonymous (Pg.29)

1. In this passage, it compares what was done before and what is done now.

2. In this passage, it gives an example of what the slaves do, and what their owner does in return.

3. In this passage, it tells what a slave would do if they do something wrong.

Alice Johnson (Pg. 30)

1. In this passage, it contrasts what used to be done and now what is done and now what is done.

2. It describes more thoroughly how the masters treated the slaves.

3. In this passage, Alice sounds resentful of what happened to the slaves.

Both

1. Both are slaves

2. Both paragraphs state that slaves were treated badly.

3. In both passages, the author gives at least one example of what the slave’s master does to the slave.

Subject Author’s Feelings Text Evidence

How it feels and how life was like for a slave.

Julius Lester felt throughout the book that the slaves deserved better and should have been treated more human like.

Pg. 28- “To be a slave. To know, despite the suffering and deprivation, that you were human, more human than he who said you were not human.”

Pg. 28-“To be considered not human, but a “thing” that plowed the fields, cut the wood, cooked the food, nursed another’s child ; a “thing” whose sole function was determined by the one who owned you.”

Paragraphs Main Idea

Beginning-Page #37 The slave’s master would make the slaves rob from other slave owners. The slave master would tell them to steal cattle and then skin it, so no one would know who stole it.

Middle-Page #78 The Sunday school lesson taught the slaves to work hard and be nice to their master, that’s it.

End-Page #139 Louisa’s dad was at the creek and he was just so happy that he was free, he screamed, “I’se free! I’se free! I’se free!”

Details Page # Comments

“They had no formal education, but they had the education of day-to-day living, of observing people and nature, for their lives depend on this knowledge.”

30 I think the author included this detail to tell people that they don’t need an education because all they need is to be able to work hard. It better explains the life of the children slaves.

“Each stroke of the whip drew blood from our backs.”

34-35 The author probably included this information to show how hard the whip beat them. Without it, people wouldn't understand the concept.

“Besides these, in these, in the winter a round jacket or over coat, a wool hat once in two or three years, for the males, and a pair of coarse shoes once a year.”

65 The author probably added this detail to show all the slaves got for winter. The readers might have thought that they got a lot of clothes, but this detail helps them understand it’s not true.

What the Book Says Conclusions Drawn

Situation: The author of the passage recalls an event where the slave’s had to put their babies in a ditch while they went to work but then it rained very hard. When they got back, they saw that the babies had drowned.

Character Actions: The author of that passage says, “They never got nary a lick of labor and nary a red penny for any of them babies.

The author probably feels sad but at the same time happy. Sad because the babies drowned but happy because they never had to work as slaves.

Situation: The author of the passage tells about a time when a woman slave came by her house and begged if she could stay because she was escaping. The next day she left and the author of the passage hasn’t seen her since then.

Character Actions: She says she let her in but she never saw that lady since then.

The author of the passage is probably glad she helped. Also the woman had probably escaped considering the fact that it said they never saw her again.

Title: To Be A Slave

1. This book mainly talks about adults being slaves, not really children.

2. To Be A Slave mainly describes the events that happen, not really the feelings.

3. To Be A Slave tells about many slaves and how each one felt or what happened during that time.

Title: Dreams Are Not Enough

1. This poem, is a poem which mainly talks about how children slaves felt during that time.

2. This poem also has another message which says that dreams are not enough because you don’t live in your dream, you live in real life.

3. The poem has more describing words and very good adjectives which gives you more of a picture in your head.

Both

1. Both of the things have the basic theme about how it is to be a slave and that it was not fair.

2. Both are about slavery in the U.S

Facts Page # Comments“The plantation. It was a large white mansion, with fluted columns and a broad porch; massive trees spread their limbs over a circular driveway which led up to the house.”

59 I think the author included this information because it helps the reader understand what a plantation is. I know that for myself because I wouldn’t have been able to understand what a plantation was unless someone told me.

“The slave had no assurance, and in fact, the rule, more than the exception, was that before his life was over, he would live on at least two, and many times, more plantations.”

39 I think the author included this information to give some insight to how a slave’s life was like. This information also gives you a little more knowledge so when you read the chapter, you’ll understand.

“In April of 1861 began leaving to join the northern army. Civil War began, and almost immediately slaves n the upper southern states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware began leaving to join the northern army.”

130 The author probably included this information to tell the readers what time during slavery, these slaves are talking about. If it didn’t say it, the readers would be confused.

“Another instrument used to control the minds of the slaves was religion.”

77 The author probably used this information for background knowledge. This info makes the reader understand the passage more.

“Each slave was expected to pick at least two hundred pounds of cotton a day.”

71 This fact gives you some knowledge on what the slaves had to do for work. It tells you how much cotton they had to pick so it proves that slaves had to work hard.”

Opinions Page # Comments

“The typical slave experience, however, was very different and was characterized by a vicious cruelty.”

32 The author probably included this sentence to tell people how he felt about slavery and thought other people felt about it too. It gives us some information on how the author feels about this matter too.

“…during my eight years experience as a driver, I learned to handle the whip with marvelous dexterity and precision…”

35 I think this sentence was included in the passage to make the reader understand better what they’re trying to say. If it didn’t use the good adjectives the reader wouldn’t have been able to understand that well what the author is trying to say.

“One day I saw the foreman slap a nigger for drinking at the dipper too long.”

29 This is an opinion because it depends on what “long” means to you. I think it was included to show the foreman’s problem with the slave.

“The circumstance of the story are unusual ; the moral of the story, common.”

38 I think the author included the information to tell the readers that they’ve probably heard something like this but the story is probably different. The author is giving some background information before he starts the next passage.

“My cousin Eliza was a pretty girl, really good-looking.”

51 I think the author included this information because it tells the readers how Eliza looks. This sentence describes how Eliza looked and without it, you wouldn’t really get a picture in your head about how the girl looked like.

“The master would make us slaves steal from each of the slave owners.” –Pg. 37

I can kind of relate to this because when I was around the age of four, there was this girl who would babysit me and she made me steal toys and things like that from other children. This sentence made me feel angry because I don’t get why the slave’s have to do the dirty work for the slave masters. It’s not fair. I dislike this sentence because it makes me feel angry and it’s just not fair. I wonder if the slave owners or slaves ever got caught though.

“The slaves who are natives of this country… believe that those who have tormented them here will most surely be tormented in their turn hereafter…” – Pg. 82

I can relate to this because it’s practically talking about karma and my grandmother always told me about karma so I believe it too. This sentence gives me a sense of relief to know that all the people who have done injustice to you will get their fair share soon. I like this sentence because it’s something I can deeply relate to and it makes me feel relieved.

Second passage –Pg. 35

I can kind of relate to this because when I was in second grade, I used to have a friend who would get me out of trouble all the time. Anytime my mom got mad because I did something wrong, she would lie and say it was her fault. This also makes me feel nostalgic because it reminds of the old days and it makes me smile because it was a very kind thing to do. I like this passage because it is quite interesting and a very nice story too.