I've been reading Copper Sun, a beautiful, yet very sad, young adult historical novel written by Sharon Draper.
It's about an African girl who witnesses the murder of her family, is put on a ship with deplorable conditions, and is then sold to some very awful white Americans.
It's a story most of us have heard many times. I know the history...at least in a general sense. But I don't think I've often heard the history as a story that many times. For me, there's such a difference between reading facts and reading a personal account (either biographical or a fictional story based on fact).
When I read about atrocities or disasters on the news, I rarely feel any empathy. Then I feel kind of awful about myself. I hear thousands of people died and I just get this feeling. Such is life. Shit happens. It's the human experience.
I definitely get a lot of empathy though when I read more personal stories.
Sharon Draper's novel is definitely provoking my empathy.
There's some awful examples of human cruelty in the book. Shocking stuff. I'd like to believe that this high level of evilness was rare in slave-owners, but from other novels and nonfiction I've read about human upon human atrocities, it's hard to have faith my wish could be true.
One of the most heart-breaking aspects of the story is the treatment of a four-year-old little boy named Tidbit. His story must have really touched me. I was reading the book in bed last night, then stopped so I could get some sleep. I had this sudden feeling of worry and panic. I thought Where's Tidbit? I guess I got so emotionally involved with the novel, for a moment I thought it was real...and that I was responsible for Tidbit's well-being.
It's about an African girl who witnesses the murder of her family, is put on a ship with deplorable conditions, and is then sold to some very awful white Americans.
It's a story most of us have heard many times. I know the history...at least in a general sense. But I don't think I've often heard the history as a story that many times. For me, there's such a difference between reading facts and reading a personal account (either biographical or a fictional story based on fact).
When I read about atrocities or disasters on the news, I rarely feel any empathy. Then I feel kind of awful about myself. I hear thousands of people died and I just get this feeling. Such is life. Shit happens. It's the human experience.
I definitely get a lot of empathy though when I read more personal stories.
Sharon Draper's novel is definitely provoking my empathy.
There's some awful examples of human cruelty in the book. Shocking stuff. I'd like to believe that this high level of evilness was rare in slave-owners, but from other novels and nonfiction I've read about human upon human atrocities, it's hard to have faith my wish could be true.
One of the most heart-breaking aspects of the story is the treatment of a four-year-old little boy named Tidbit. His story must have really touched me. I was reading the book in bed last night, then stopped so I could get some sleep. I had this sudden feeling of worry and panic. I thought Where's Tidbit? I guess I got so emotionally involved with the novel, for a moment I thought it was real...and that I was responsible for Tidbit's well-being.
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