Speech Analysis (Nurse Speech)

Act 2 Scene 5 (Page 109)

Nurse (Original version):

Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence' cell;
There stays a husband to make you a wife:
Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks,
They'll be in scarlet straight at any news.
Hie you to church; I must another way,
To fetch a ladder, by the which your love
Must climb a bird's nest soon when it is dark:
I am the drudge and toil in your delight,
But you shall bear the burden soon at night.
Go; I'll to dinner: hie you to the cell.

Nurse (modern version):

Then hurry to Friar Lawrence’s room;

There is a husband waiting to make you his wife:

Now you blush,

You would have red cheeks at any news of Romeo.

Hurry to church; I am headed in another direction,

To find a rope ladder, by which Romeo may climb to your room tonight

I must fetch and carry for you,

But you shall bear his weight tonight.

 Go; I’ll eat lunch: Hurry to Friar Laurence’s room.

Photo Essay- Shakespeare's Time

This is a picture of Queen Elizabeth the first; she is wearing traditional clothing and jewelry designed in the late 1500’s. I picked this picture because Queen Elizabeth the first was queen during Shakespeare’s time.

This is a picture of an old-fashioned kitchen during Shakespeare’s time. Chefs cooked the food for the royal families, and most food would be hand-made. This would be an example of how the kitchen looked during the Montague party or any other party. Everyone would rushing trying to make food as fast as they could as well as make it good, for the guests at the party.

This is a picture of a jester, a jester is a professional clown hired to entertain his owner (king or queen) in the Middle Ages. They were also referred to as a fool; they were the only people who could make fun of the king without getting in trouble or having their life taken. The jesters in the Middle Ages are now known as circus clowns.  The Royal families in some of Shakespeare’s book had jesters to entertain them.

This is a picture of masquerade mask, this mask is white with silver gems and stones on it, and also it has feathers coming out of the top. I picked this picture because this picture represents the masquerade balls/parties they used to hold in the 1500’s. This picture also represents the masks worn at the Montague family party.

This is a picture of 4 men singing into a mike while one is playing the guitar, the men are all wearing tuxedos. I picked this picture because it represents the musicians that sung at parties for the royal families. For example, the Montague party, they had singers that entertained them at the party.

This is picture of someone writing with a quill. Some adults who needed to keep account books and write documents about their trades used the quill pen to write whatever the needed to write down. It was necessary for children to learn how to write as well as read. In the 1700s and well into the 1800s, people wrote with quill pens. Such writing was not easy, and skill came only with lots of practice.

Personal Reflection

1.     Hurtful and derogatory words should not be replaced. We shouldn't change the way the past was because of how the present is now. The book would lose its touch, and you wouldn't get a good view at how the slaves were treated back then, the words are needed to get a more realistic point of view. They should not be replaced because they are historically accurate, the reader should actually know what happened to slaves instead of using other words to make the book less realistic. Therefore, for these reasons I say that we should keep the words in the book, you have the option to read the book or not.

2.     The novel is relevant to today’s society. This book is relevant to today’s society because slavery and racism still exists today. Racism against many races, for example, racism exists against blacks, Jews, and many other religions. People with power have slaves that work for them and places around the world that are less fortunate have slavery. Slavery exists in many parts of the world even though there are laws and rules against it. Children are forced to work at such a young age for little or no money, children are sexually assaulted. Therefore, for the reasons above and many more this novel is relevant to today’s society.

3.     It would be better reading from literature and fiction. It would be better because it would be more interesting than reading a boring textbook, which you could fall asleep reading. Reading this book is a very good perspective on what happened a long time ago, even though Aminata is not real, her story and what she’s been through is all true. When you read this book you still get what they are trying to tell and teach you about the past, some parts of Aminata’s life may not be real but you get close enough of a realistic point of view enough to learn from the book and her story. Therefore, it would be better reading literature and fiction instead of a dry textbook.

Similes and Metaphors

Similes

“The best approach was to follow the buckra’s conversation like a well-trained dog.” Pg. 129

“He works good,” I said. “Strong like an ox.” Pg. 130

“No more’n you,” I said. “When you get going, you yap like a dog wit’ tail caught fire.” Pg. 135

Metaphors  

“The ship was an animal in water.” Pg. 57

“My mouth danced with taste, and I suddenly was aware of my hunger and thirst.” Pg. 73

“Words swim farther than man can walk.” Pg. 123

Photo Essay

When the slaves were captured from their villages, they were chained together. The slaves were forced to walk with blood or urine running down their naked bodies. The longer they walked the more people joined the walk and the more people who died. The slaves were forced to walk for three months.

While walking for a long time, Aminata helped one nice lady named Sanu give birth to her baby. Aminata was all alone, no help from her mother telling her what to do. Sanu had told Aminata that her mother would be proud of her. Sanu had had a baby girl and had named it after Aminata.

After three months of walking on land, the slaves were taken onto a ship. The men were all put into the slave vessel, they were all chained together. Some men were lying on their backs others on their stomachs, most men were laying on top of each other. Also some men were lying next to other dead men.

After the slaves were on the ship, they were branded. Slaves were taken from their cages and had a hot iron pressed on to them marking them as the slave traders’ property (being branded). They were branded for when they were going to be sold once they were on land again.

When the slaves were on land again they had to work. They had to do back breaking jobs, one of the jobs they had to do was work in an indigo plantation. Aminata was sent to work in an indigo plantation, the indigo was used to colour the slave traders’ clothes a natural dye coming from the plant; indigo.

Aminata Diary Entry

           One day I, mama and Fomba were returning from attending a birth in Kinta. Fomba carried the pail; I carried fruit on my head while mama carried water skins and her birthing kit. All these items except the birthing kit were given by the village, before leaving they told us to be very careful. We were walking along when mama started  telling me “If strangers come upon us, Aminata” she didn’t get much further. I looked ahead of us and saw four men come out from behind the trees, mama told me to drop the fruit and run but I was frozen in place.

            Fomba grabbed the man with something odd in his hand; he hit the man on the head with the chicken bucket. The man stumbled and then Fomba grabbed his neck and twisted it hard. Fomba was about to grab me and run when all of a sudden one man came up behind him and hit him on the head, Fomba didn’t move.

            Mama tried defending us but nothing worked, one man grabbed me I was able to get free and hit him between the legs. After trying to escape I got captured again I was pushed on the ground when I looked up I saw mama get hit in the back of the head really hard and not moving. After walking for a long time we were walking towards the village, when I looked up I could see through the trees that Bayo was burning.

            After walking for a little while more 5 strange men joined us with 3 other captives. I recognized one of the captives as Fa; he rubbed his hands together until they slid free. Papa fought a couple of the captors, when one captor raised a stick at my father. My father stopped doing what he was doing and raised his hands, all of a sudden fire came out of the stick and I saw my father fly backwards not being able to move after the impact.

            We walked naked for hours. That is when I noticed Fanta had joined us, we eventually we came across a river; it was the Joliba river father had been to. We were canoed across the river, a boy had joined us and he always had a smile pasted on his face no matter the situation. When it was time to eat the boy had brought me a banana, Fanta wanted it badly. I fell asleep next to Fanta, I had figured out the boy’s name was Chekura and that he was from the village Kinta. He continued to bring me food and water.

            We walked for many days, one day while I was walking blood started to run down my leg. Mama told me this day would come; Chekura kept asking if I was okay I only told him the next village to get a woman for me. He did as I said and 2 women came and helped me clean up, after eating when they offered me food I went back and joined the captives. I had stepped on a dead corpse and started screaming but Fanta told me to calm down and only pretend it was a goat’s body. I had helped a lady named Sanu give birth to baby Aminata.

We walked for many days, until one day we came upon the big waters. We crossed the big water to an island where there were boats waiting for our arrival. When we were boarding something hit our canoe I looked over and saw Chekura sitting in it. I had told him to escape when he had a chance but didn’t. We boarded the boat; women and children were separated from the men.  We all had to get a hot iron pressed on us, we were all had become branded. Hopefully my talent will come in use to the captors and I will not be killed so soon and maybe I may be able to live longer.