M.T. Anderson's the Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation is one of the most brilliant pieces of literature centered on slavery in Revolution-era America that I have ever read. Anderson presents the hypocrisy of the Revolutionary War in the desire of the American white men to be free from tyranny and oppression so they can freely keep their slaves in bondage. Anderson's approach to the issue of slavery at this time in American history is phenomenal in his description and method of writing.
Anderson's writing is almost poetic; fluid and beautiful, while describing the most horrific and terrible scenes, which serves to amplify the disharmony of the book. Anderson's poetic writing does not seem to fit the scenes he describes just as fighting for freedom of person and property (i.e. slaves) is hypocritical.
Also of interest, the pox party Anderson describes is both disturbing and fascinating. He describes a scene in which scientific minded men gather together friends and family to inoculate them with small pox as a vaccination method; an old-school flu shot. However, instead of a shot, they cut open a person's arm and placed a hair covered in the pus of the small pox pustules from a previously deceased victim of the disease into that cut and bandaged it up. Ew. I am not sure if that is how it really happened or if it is a product of Anderson's imagination but it is disturbing.
This is an excellent book that I believe everyone should read.
No comments:
Post a Comment