JOURNALS:

Write a reader response to the reading and focus on a character’s development. Focus on characterization, but choose any character you like. See the Character Analysis Resources provided. Set a new minimum word count of 200 for each journal. MLA Style document design required.

Include mention of the author, the title of the work, the genre (short story, novella), the time period, and offer a direct quote from the text to support your strongest point. Cite your sources. Optional: Go further and quote the author of Binti <  or the following literary analysis of “The Mulatto” : “Seeds of Rebellion.”

ANSWER PREVIEW

Victor Sejour developed a fictional piece known as “The Mulatto” in 1837. The purpose of the work was to empower the world and colonial rules on the predicament of slavery. This literal piece is one of the earliest works created by an African American in an era where the race was a crucial aspect of the society determining equality. Sejour presents a character known as George to represent the theme of race. The slave narrative in this piece depicts the issue of race. George is characterized as a free mulatto, but conflict arises since he continues to live as a slave despite the status of his freedom. George battles with race identity because he is neither black nor white. He questions his mother about his parentage and lineage but receives no response. George did not get to know the identity of his father since his mother silenced his inquiries. In one situation, her mother says, “hush George, the walls have ears, and someone will talk” (Daut, pg. 15). Since George is categorized as a Mullato, it is expected he will not be enslaved. However, this is not the case due to the racial conflict of his origin.

(343words)