When Handful discovers the planning of a slave revolt credited to Denmark Vesey, I found myself partially in awe, but mainly full of reservations. For, rebellions, revolts, revolutions, etc. don’t spontaneously happen overnight. There must be careful planning, cooperation, and a united front. When recruiting slaves to back the cause, Denmark would cry out, "The Lord has spoken o me...[h]e said set my people free. When your name is written in the Book, you're one of us and you're one of God's, and we'll take our freedom when God says...You believe in God, believe also in me" (224). Upon reading this, I had a similar reaction to that of Handful's: "When he spoke those words, a jolt traveled through me...My name wasn't in the Book....but I would've put it in there if I could. I would've written it in blood" (225). Denmark initiated a spark, and his words were so powerful that I literally stopped to think about the actions that would result.
Yet, even more, he forced me to day dream.
Sometimes I picture school as my own personal version of slavery. Maybe it’s not to the same extreme, but I’m still forced to complete tasks against my own will, and face severe consequences when I don’t meet the challenges. I’ll received a bad grade, the horror of perfectionistic teenage girls everywhere. However, I am forced to truck on, hopeful for a future where things may get better.
I wonder if we could stage our own rebellion.
What if all the girls assemble in the hallways of our institution? The floors littered by torn pages of textbooks and neglected homework assignments. Students barricading teachers from classrooms by piling desks in doorways, reminiscent of World War I trench fortifications. Cries of “Down with Ela!” pounding and building the atmosphere.
Next, we force the faculty to the confines of the Teacher’s Longue, where the siege begins. Soon they run out of coffee and leftover birthday cake, forcing a surrender.
The treaty outlaws busywork, defined to the extreme as being anything that takes up a student’s time outside of the classroom, places restrictions and quotas on any form of assessment, and relegates the GPA system to holding absolutely no merit.
However, reality came whipping back in the way it usually does, and I realized how improbable this little scenario I had conjured up in my head was. But, I had realized that Denmark had been successful with me: he created a spark of curiosity, a questioning of values, and an excitement. This was his ultimate goal when organizing the slaves into rebellion. He just needed to plant ideas and fuel the fire, for when a group ultimately has the same ideas, they can move mountains.
Most importantly, by planting these thoughts into others, even though Denmark's plan might fail, surely there would be another attempt if desire was strong enough.
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Author's Note (3/21/14):
I found this quote later in my readings and found it very relevant. It is right after the rebellion is dissolved, and Denmark has been taken into custody. Handful is thinking back over everything that has transpired and is opening the quilt that held the list which had all the names of slaves willing to back the revolt:
"When I opened the quilt so I could burn the list, I counted two hundred eighty-three names on it, not six thousand like he'd said. Nowadays, I believe [Denmark] just wanted to strike a flame, thinking if he did that, every able-body would join the fight" (258).
Yet, even more, he forced me to day dream.
Sometimes I picture school as my own personal version of slavery. Maybe it’s not to the same extreme, but I’m still forced to complete tasks against my own will, and face severe consequences when I don’t meet the challenges. I’ll received a bad grade, the horror of perfectionistic teenage girls everywhere. However, I am forced to truck on, hopeful for a future where things may get better.
I wonder if we could stage our own rebellion.
What if all the girls assemble in the hallways of our institution? The floors littered by torn pages of textbooks and neglected homework assignments. Students barricading teachers from classrooms by piling desks in doorways, reminiscent of World War I trench fortifications. Cries of “Down with Ela!” pounding and building the atmosphere.
Next, we force the faculty to the confines of the Teacher’s Longue, where the siege begins. Soon they run out of coffee and leftover birthday cake, forcing a surrender.
The treaty outlaws busywork, defined to the extreme as being anything that takes up a student’s time outside of the classroom, places restrictions and quotas on any form of assessment, and relegates the GPA system to holding absolutely no merit.
However, reality came whipping back in the way it usually does, and I realized how improbable this little scenario I had conjured up in my head was. But, I had realized that Denmark had been successful with me: he created a spark of curiosity, a questioning of values, and an excitement. This was his ultimate goal when organizing the slaves into rebellion. He just needed to plant ideas and fuel the fire, for when a group ultimately has the same ideas, they can move mountains.
Most importantly, by planting these thoughts into others, even though Denmark's plan might fail, surely there would be another attempt if desire was strong enough.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note (3/21/14):
I found this quote later in my readings and found it very relevant. It is right after the rebellion is dissolved, and Denmark has been taken into custody. Handful is thinking back over everything that has transpired and is opening the quilt that held the list which had all the names of slaves willing to back the revolt:
"When I opened the quilt so I could burn the list, I counted two hundred eighty-three names on it, not six thousand like he'd said. Nowadays, I believe [Denmark] just wanted to strike a flame, thinking if he did that, every able-body would join the fight" (258).