Review of "Taking Liberty"
Noel McKillip
January 4, 2006
Period-3-4
Review for Taking Liberty
Oney Judge, Lady Washington’s “personal girl”, had a life of splendor and riches even though she was a house slave. Then her life is drastically changed when she realizes her choice. Oney always thought that she had an easy life, but when the chance of freedom comes she doesn’t know what to do. Will she spend the rest of her life as a comfortable slave, or chance the real world as a free woman? With characters that touch your heart and a plot that teaches you to never take for granted what you have, Ann Rinaldi’s Taking Liberty is an unforgettable and worthwhile read for those who care to know why we have this incredible gift of freedom. In Taking Liberty, all of the main characters contributed (some unknowingly) to Oney’s difficult decision. Some were cruel, some were nice, and some were just plain odd, but all of them had a connection to Oney in one way or another. The narrator, Oney, describes the characters in such a way that they seem to come to life. The “mulatto slaves” are one of the main groups of characters in the story. Oney portrays the meaning of mulatto as being half white, and only these slaves are allowed to work inside of Lady Washington’s house. Oney, one of these slaves, is depicted as the “pet” of Lady Washington’s and her nickname as her “personal girl” is used as both an insult and a compliment. She always asks questions and searches for the answer until she finds it, and doesn’t care how long it will take. She lives in Lady Washington’s house with her harsh and strict mother, who is described as “a barrel of old pickles; tough and sour”, and who loves Oney but shows her affection in a way that is rarely noticed, Hercules the head cook who is “small, wiry, and full of moods”, and Christopher, a body servant for General Washington who was “straight, with a ready smile and a way of making you feel better just being around him”. There was also Old Sinda the conjurer who
January 4, 2006
Period-3-4
Review for Taking Liberty
Oney Judge, Lady Washington’s “personal girl”, had a life of splendor and riches even though she was a house slave. Then her life is drastically changed when she realizes her choice. Oney always thought that she had an easy life, but when the chance of freedom comes she doesn’t know what to do. Will she spend the rest of her life as a comfortable slave, or chance the real world as a free woman? With characters that touch your heart and a plot that teaches you to never take for granted what you have, Ann Rinaldi’s Taking Liberty is an unforgettable and worthwhile read for those who care to know why we have this incredible gift of freedom. In Taking Liberty, all of the main characters contributed (some unknowingly) to Oney’s difficult decision. Some were cruel, some were nice, and some were just plain odd, but all of them had a connection to Oney in one way or another. The narrator, Oney, describes the characters in such a way that they seem to come to life. The “mulatto slaves” are one of the main groups of characters in the story. Oney portrays the meaning of mulatto as being half white, and only these slaves are allowed to work inside of Lady Washington’s house. Oney, one of these slaves, is depicted as the “pet” of Lady Washington’s and her nickname as her “personal girl” is used as both an insult and a compliment. She always asks questions and searches for the answer until she finds it, and doesn’t care how long it will take. She lives in Lady Washington’s house with her harsh and strict mother, who is described as “a barrel of old pickles; tough and sour”, and who loves Oney but shows her affection in a way that is rarely noticed, Hercules the head cook who is “small, wiry, and full of moods”, and Christopher, a body servant for General Washington who was “straight, with a ready smile and a way of making you feel better just being around him”. There was also Old Sinda the conjurer who