Slave
By: Mende Nazer and Damien Lewis
Presentation by: Ki-Ki Klaumann and John Keel
Author's Purpose
Slavery isn't as big and as well known around the world like it used to be. It is now just in certain areas in the world where it is still happening, and she is trying to get the world to recognize how slavery changes the life of the enslaved until the day they die.
Aspects of Culture
- five daily prayers to Allah
- live in mud huts with thatch roofs
- own herds of cattle, with fifty or so being a normal amount
- taking an hour to walk to school
- not wearing clothes in their village
- female circumcision
- arranged marriages, with girls typically marrying around age 13
- crop harvest being a major source of income
- traditional wrestling ceremonies, once a year
- more wholesome family values, they stick together and are constantly helping each other due to lack of modern technology (tv, radio, phones, cars) and cosmopolitan areas
The culture of the people Mende was enslaved to was more westernized, with then-modern appliances and cultural practices. They wore clothes, had sinks, televisions, and showers, and access to modern medicine.
Elements of Voice
Nazer's voice changes throughout the story, and you can see the transition from naive child to beaten-down adolescent to almost hopeful adult. In the story her changing voice shows how her world is changing and reflects what she is feeling and experiencing at each period of her life.
Effect of the Structure of the Novel
The true story acts as an expose on slavery. It was written to get people to realize slavery still exists and to ask for help in the effort to stop it, and hold people responsible for it.
Vocabulary Acquisition
Many new words and aspects of culture were shown in the story.
These are in the Nuba language, with a Kehko-tribe dialect
- Kujur- village shaman, medicine man
- Kuul- wrestling champion
- Heya- lets fight
- Bire- one
- Ore- two
- Hawajas- white men
Once Mende had been kidnapped she was sold to an Arabic family. Some of the words they used were:
- Abeed- slaves, abda is singular form of slave
- Yebit- girl worthy of no name
- Mailesh- im sorry
- Saieda- master
- Allahu Akhbar- God is great
Citations
- "Slave: True Story by Mende Nazer." Amzon. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. <http://www.amazon.com/Slave-True-Story-Mende-Nazer/dp/1586483188>.
- "Interview with Mende." Youtube. Feelgood. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWLBxvl_yss>.
- "Human Trafficking." Human Trafficking. Blendspace. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. <https://www.tes.com/lessons/ltzQl1u1vQ8wJA/human-trafficking>.
- Nazer, Mende. Slave: My True Story. New York: PublicAffair, 2003. Print.