ROOTS
Uploaded by lilkri on May 30, 2004
The book might be one of the most significant books in American History. It is the epic tale of blacks in American History and the roles they played in everyday society. How the were sunned by society and treated like lowly creatures. Most people’s concepts of blacks were stupid creatures that needed to be handled. Most of the whites in the South thought that they were doing them a favor. They were teaching them how to work, respect others, listen and follow orders. The book makes you realize the horrific ordeals that they had to live through.
The book starts off with the birth of Kunta Kinte. The son of Omoro and Binta. It tells how he grew up in the African tradition. He speaks of his family and the ways of the people in Juffure. Kunta was a very curious boy that wanted to know everything and anything from his grandmother Nyo Boto. When Kunta finally reaches the age that he can start his manhood training he is very solemn. After his manhood training Kunta is put in charge of watching the fields. Then came the morning that would change Kunta’s life forever. Kunta was out in the forest cutting a tree trunk that was to become a drum for his little brother Lamin Kunta was snatch by four slave hunters and taken to the coast where he would board a ship and never return to his home. Kunta was incoherent to what was going on around him all he could think about was escape. His body was hot with torn flesh from his beaten body. He thought that he was taken to be eaten not realizing that he would endure a fate far worse than death. He would become a slave and never be a free man again.
As Kunta was shoved onto the boat all he could think about was his family and the fate he was about to meet. As he was taken to the hold on the ship he stumbled to walk and receive lashes for it. Kunta was shackled like a caged animal lying on a plank not more the a few inches from another man. The stench of the hold was hard to bare. Kunta could smell the rotten flesh and feces....