The Longest Memory
Fred D’Aguiar
11A Dylan Demtschyna
Vocabulary
Words that have something to do with literary devices | Words that have positive connotations (the words make you think of good or nice things) | Words that have negative connotations | Narrative/NarratorIrony Narrative PerspectiveInterior monologue | Juxtapose/JuxtapositionMoralMoralityInstitution CommodityRationalizeSelf-determinationDignityCompassionJustify | PlantationImmoralSavage/savageryDehumaniseInhumaneBrutalityDeterrentSupremacyPenuryPerpetuateHypocrite/HypocrisyInferiorInequitySadisticOppression |
The Narrator of the novel shows how the slaves are treated Inhumane and are Inequity to the Plantation owners. The use of whips and punishment are acts of Brutality and as a Deterrent to slaves if they don’t follow the rules. Yet Whitechapel still Justifies the behaviours of his owners and fair and in doing so keeps some Dignity.
Genre and Narrative Style
Is the longest memory a historical novel? A novel about slavery? A love story? A mortality tale? Why did Fred D’Aguiar write this novel? What were his intentions? The longest memory is a historic novel of slavery, love and morality about the events that happened during the slavery times. Fred D’Aguiar wrote this novel to give the world a perspective of what happened to the slaves during this cruel time from a slave’s point of view. His intentions were to inform and persuade modern people on what happened to the slaves which were equal to whites, only treated differently because of the colour of their skin.
D’Aguiar has ten different characters essentially tell the same story but each narrator has a slightly different perspective. Why does he do this?