Nightjohn and Number the Stars
Uploaded by Admin on Jan 22, 1999
In Nightjohn there were a number of facts, details and incidents that contribute to the historical accuracy of the book. I have outlined some of the more specific examples as follows:
There was a man who risked his life for the sake of teaching the other children in the surrounding plantations how to read and write.
The owner of the plantation whipped his slaves for moving too slow and did go out with dogs and two field hands after any of the slaves if they decide to run. He brings two field hands with him so they can see what happens and retell the story back at the quarters. He does this basically so everyone will be horrified and won't decide to escape.
Reading and writing was strictly forbidden because the owner wanted to keep them ignorant so they wouldn't rebel against him.
Once a female got her "troubles" [menstrual cycle] they would be sent off to the breeding sheds to reproduce.
The "mammy" took care of all the young ones until they were old enough to go out and work in the fields.
The slaves were forced to eat from a trough like animals.
The mammy would pray with her head inside a kettle so that the owners would not hear her pray. Praying, too, was strictly forbidden.
Number the Stars contains even more facts, details and incidents that contribute to the historical accuracy of the book. They are outlined below:
King Christian X was a King during the time of war in Denmark. He also surrendered to the Germans in 1940 because of the fact that "the country was small and undefended, with no army of any size." (Lowry 134).
"It is true that he (King Christian) rode alone on his horse from the palace every morning, unguarded, and greeted his people." (Lowry 134).
The German soldiers occupied Denmark for five years.
The Germans controlled the rail system, hospitals, schools, government, and even the newspapers.
The story about the soldier who saw King Christian ride by on his horse one morning and asked a boy "Where is his body guard?" to which the boy replied "All of Denmark is his bodyguard", is in fact, true.
On August 1943, the Danes did sink their entire navy in Copenhagen harbor before the Germans came to take the ships for their own use.
Also in 1943, anyone who gathered to worship at the synagogue, were warned by the...