The Middle Passage is known to be the worst case of human trafficking. Campbell explores some of the greatest woes of the middle passage in his drama,
"Anansi". Using evidence from the drama to support your views, state whether or not you believe Campbell has effectively relayed the gravity of the middle passage to his audience.
Yes, I believe that Campbell expressed the gravity of the middle passage very well. Even though he did not directly focus on the all the grievances of the middle passage, he was able to express the journey of the middle passage though multiple contrasting perspectives and the effect the middle passage had on the characters. Campbell depicted the suffering and feelings of the slaves and the whites, though even the shortest of scenes, on board the ship. For example, the author revealed important information on events occurring that on the ship through the captain's dictation of his ledgers to the boy.
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DeleteI completely agree with this statement. Additionally, Campbell found a way to highlight not only the hardships of the middle passage but the African culture that was brought from the mother land onto the ship, and into foreign lands.
DeleteYes, Campbell expressed the gravity of the middle passage well in this drama. He explained in detail the challenges which were faced by the slaves from different point of views to show the way in which their suffering could be seen. Campbell compared the way by which the slaves and whites were treated differently and the way the blacks were not regarded as people. The little girl described the way they were treated throughout the drama and the boy expressed his sympathy for the slaves after describing the way they were ill treated.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with Gina's perspective. In addition Campbell highlighted the feelings of the slaves compared to the feelings of the white.
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ReplyDeleteI believe Campbell expressed the weight of the middle passage in a very skillful way. Campbell was able to not only highlight the austerity of being taken from your home and being treated as cargo by foreigners, but highlight tradition and culture being passed down from one generation the the next, ironically adding a beautiful contrast to his play. The playwright mentions in the play the feeling of fear that the young girl who was taken from her home felt after being stored in the hold of a ship. The frightened girl met a woman who was able to bring her comfort and reassurance - even in her final moments - by playing the role of her mother and telling her 'Anansi' stories which she then told to others who were help captive.
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely with your opinion it deals greatly with both the positive and negative emotional effects from the girl being scared at first to being comforted by the Anansi stories
DeleteYes, I believe that Campbell properly expressed the gravity of the middle passage in this drama. He outlined the challenges and sufferings faced by the slaves aboard the vessel. There was a great comparison between how the slaves and whites were treated. The slaves were ill treated while the whites received privileged treatment. Additionally, within the drama Campbell highlighted various areas which showed the strength of the African people through all the challenging times aboard the vessel heading the Caribbean as slaves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment and i find it well worded. Additionally you could have made mentions of the difference in what they were fed and the illnesses aboard the ship.
DeleteI believe that Campbell effectively conveyed the hardships faced during the middle passage. Campbell wrote from a first person point of view and utilized frame narration to help readers understand the urgency and seriousness of the events. During the passage Campbell often escaped into "the forest of stories" which appealed to readers sense of passion. This spoke to readers on how desperate and in need of escape the enslaved were that they were looking for a home in strangers for a reason to keep on living. Although Campbell may have not been apart of or even a direct descendant of slavery he tapped so deep into the middle passage that many readers would assume that he had been directly impacted.
ReplyDeleteGreat explanation and use of explanation within the story. However, Campbell outlined the hardships faced by the slaves during their journey to the Caribbean.
DeleteIn my opinion Campbell gave a proper and in depth description of the hardships faced on the middle passage. he talked about having to form close relations with strangers only for them to meet their eventual demise, having to be separated from the ones you love most and only things you know ,having to leave being fed properly and getting into disease exposure and eating small amounts of foreign foods as well as many more important aspects of the slave trade. This drama gave some insight as to why many decided to jump ship or many got scared and felt hopeless upon the ship. Campbells drama was well articulated and brought up many emotions for readers.
ReplyDeleteIn expressing the gravity of the middle passage, Campbell did excellently. He clearly conveyed the various hardships such as lack of nutrition and sanitization to ill-treatment. He also displayed the emotions present during this time, for example: fear, worry and hopelessness the girl often felt these emotions throughout the voyage. This inflicts onto the readers a sense of compassion and somewhat, pity but at the same time it gives to the black readers a sense of pride and strength knowing that all of this was faced by the ancestors but stil,l they are here today to read about it.
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