Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical fiction novel, Chains, is a story of a young teenage girl, Isabel, trying to find her way through the operose years of the American Revolution as a slave in the Lockton household. Over the course of the novel, Isabel struggles to find her identity and inner determination in the dangerous and abusive society in which she lives. Furthermore, Isabel battles to figure out who she is, what type of person she wants to be, and who she’s supposed to be, especially since she is forced to stay a silent, meaningless slave. Throughout the novel, Isabel’s determination is pushed down by oppression and her will to fight is challenged. Based on these key details, one lesson suggested by the author is that in order for a
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Towards the halfway point in the novel, after Ruth was taken, Isabel falls into a deep state of depression over losing her. She ends up trying to escape her abusive life in New York, but instead lands herself in jail. After a few rough days locked in a dark prison, Isabel finds herself sitting in court. At the start of the trial, the author describes, “I raised my head to look at her. Someone poked a stick into my ribs, hard, and hissed at me. I lowered my eyes” (Halse Anderson 143). While it’s clear to see that Isabel has done a crime, the fact that she isn’t allowed to look up, let alone make contact with someone of another race helps make the reader see a barrier. This description leads the reader to think that there is a huge barrier between second-class citizens - African Americans - and Europeans of another race. African Americans aren’t as important as Europeans in their eyes. They don’t matter. The fact that Isabel isn’t even allowed look at someone of a higher social status displays the major oppression faced by all slaves; mistreatment, unfair trials. With this example, it’s clear to see how oppression impacts African Americans, and force them to try and take …show more content…
There are many sources of oppression, be it physical or mental abuse. The only solution is to find a way to use the anger and sadness as motivation to improve the situation. Furthermore, the author exemplifies this message by using a young teenager as the narrator. This helps the reader connect with her and helps them understand her pain. Every reader can make a connection with Isabel and create a bond. Either young or old, everyone has had some sort of pain and suffering within their lives at one
Towards the halfway point in the novel, after Ruth was taken, Isabel falls into a deep state of depression over losing her. She ends up trying to escape her abusive life in New York, but instead lands herself in jail. After a few rough days locked in a dark prison, Isabel finds herself sitting in court. At the start of the trial, the author describes, “I raised my head to look at her. Someone poked a stick into my ribs, hard, and hissed at me. I lowered my eyes” (Halse Anderson 143). While it’s clear to see that Isabel has done a crime, the fact that she isn’t allowed to look up, let alone make contact with someone of another race helps make the reader see a barrier. This description leads the reader to think that there is a huge barrier between second-class citizens - African Americans - and Europeans of another race. African Americans aren’t as important as Europeans in their eyes. They don’t matter. The fact that Isabel isn’t even allowed look at someone of a higher social status displays the major oppression faced by all slaves; mistreatment, unfair trials. With this example, it’s clear to see how oppression impacts African Americans, and force them to try and take …show more content…
There are many sources of oppression, be it physical or mental abuse. The only solution is to find a way to use the anger and sadness as motivation to improve the situation. Furthermore, the author exemplifies this message by using a young teenager as the narrator. This helps the reader connect with her and helps them understand her pain. Every reader can make a connection with Isabel and create a bond. Either young or old, everyone has had some sort of pain and suffering within their lives at one