Topic > Book Review: Roots by Alex Haley

Considered one of the greatest books of all time, “Roots” became one of the most phenomenal and influential books written in the 1970s. This book was written by Alexander Murray Palmer Haley known simply as Alex Haley; and by writing this book he clearly conveys the struggle of being a black slave and the story of a young Kunta Kinte. Alex Haley was simply told the story of Kunta Kinte when he was a child by his family and when he was old enough, he shared what he learned and felt through the writings of the book Roots, which brought to life what he had imagined in his whole life. life.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Life of this book is about the capture of slaves and the inhumane way they were treated by those who bought them as slaves; however, these are also a plethora of individuals who would not give up no matter what the white man says to them or puts in their heads. Haley's search for her roots changed the way Black people thought about themselves and the way White Americans saw them (Dyson, 2017). He basically wrote into his book individuals who would make black people believe that they could find their ambition while at the same time understanding the very temperament that their ancestors and others may have had to go through to simply survive. At this point, what Alex Haley tried to leave to African Americans who read his book is the fact that they can achieve any goal, but only if they look history head on and in the face. Since this book is written in chronological order, it begins in the early 1750s in the village of Juffure, which was said to be about four days away from Gambia in West Africa (Haley, 2017). This is the setting that was provided to show exactly where these individuals were and how they lived; which was autonomous and free. While Omaro and Binta Kinte lived in West Africa, Binta gave birth to Kunta Kinte. Since Kunta was the first male born, it was thought that he had a special blessing not only for himself but also for his parents, and that their name Kinte would be proud, distinguished, and perpetuated (Haley, 2017). So, naturally, traditional things were done for this proud and great moment of the Kintes, such as preparing the traditional breakfast and praying to the Great Allah by the men. It appears that this information was added to the book by Haley, to show that there were traditions to follow within each culture. It shows that the rules were followed without any portrayal of anger and/or rebellion; such as men eating first, wives feeding children and finally eating themselves. This is the way things were done in that particular time and in that particular culture. These individuals took care of themselves by working, planting, farming, and more to ensure they could take care of their families, but they did so with grace, ease, poise, and conviction in the knowledge that they were demonstrating the acts of a true breed. and real men. In implementing these particular aspects and signals, Alex Haley seemed to demonstrate what he truly believed, which is that men are the heads of their families and that they must take care of their families, no matter what they have endured. Since women had to cook, take care of the men and children, and make sure the children were healthy; however, the men and women/children all lived in separate huts, but regardless, the strategy was really that everyoneworked together so that they could achieve and prosper much more. Haley continued her story in chapters recounting the lifestyle of Kunta and his family, as well as the disastrous rains that hit their land. It showed the hardships families faced and what they went through as they tried to save their crops and devastate their lands. Once again, Haley highlighted how religion and prayer kept these people going day after day, never giving up and always facing hope. The social history of individuals was phenomenal as everyone relied on each other and Allah to get them through. The religion that each of them had was strong and untouchable in any case. It seems that Haley must have also been a very strong and religious individual, to point out so clearly and profoundly how these individuals depended on faith in their Allah (God). Seeking solutions on how to make those lands better is what they prayed for, but it also proved that Allah stopped the rain, so He heard their cries. Throughout this book, even though some were said to be factual and some fictional, Haley, demonstrates the visualization of the representations she is trying to make. When he begins to talk about the plantation where Kunta Kinte was sold in Spotsylvania County, there is a feeling of hurt and disgust, but the fascination around the incredible story allows the reader to move forward regardless of how despicable it may be. One of the main parts of this story that relies heavily on feelings; where Haley was trying to show herself was when Master Wallace and his wife Elizabeth wanted Kunta to say that his name was Toby. The simple fact that these people in North America had the right to mistreat individuals who didn't look like them was a pure atrocity. Since Kunta knew what his name meant, there was no way he would have accepted the name Toby from the white man. With this action, Haley returned to what Kunta had learned from her parents; therefore, there appears to be a specific issue within this book that Haley needed to be acknowledged and exposed for historical purposes. Since this book has few images to know, from the numerous vivid descriptions and details provided by the writer, readers were able to visualize the intensity of the events that took place and how inhumanely things were done. Especially when the descriptions of the beatings were described, visually, you could see and feel every mark as the lashes hit the slave's body. Haley essentially made waves with the monstrous descriptions she provided in her book. Making sure each metaphor helped the reader engage in reading with mind, body, and soul. Haley once again makes an effort to show the power Kunta holds himself in, showing how many times he tries to escape, which makes him choose castration or cutting off his foot. No doubt Kunta chose to have his foot amputated. In the history of American slavery these types of crimes (where they should be classified) were not crimes at all, but an unclean lifestyle for a slave owner. As these individuals had an independent judiciary and colonial government of the thirteen colonies; they really had light rules to follow and the slaves had no rights or laws to protect them. Again, this is Alex Haley's way of showing the temper of the government at the time as well as the abandonment of another human race. The influential story told by Alex Haley throughout the Roots book not only overshadows negative opinions but also opens doors of life that many.