What is the summary of Nightjohn?
What is the summary of Nightjohn?
Nightjohn, a young adult novel by Gary Paulsen (1993), takes place shortly before the Civil War on a Southern plantation. It tells the story of one slave’s mission to teach other slaves the illegal skill of reading. The story is narrated by Sarny, a young girl slave. She lives on the Waller plantation.
How would you describe Sarny from Nightjohn?
Sarny is the narrator of the story. She is twelve at the time Nightjohn is bought by Waller; she knows this by the notches on a stick Mammy keeps for all the children. Sarny knows no letters or numbers, but is quite sharp and has a good memory.
Who is the protagonist in Nightjohn?
Sarny. This character is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. Born into slavery, she is 12 years old when the narrative opens.
What is the message of Nightjohn?
Being in situations can make you stronger or weaker. Different situations make you stronger and other situations make you weaker and that’s just how life goes. Through these situations, we learn life lesson and other things we need to get through life.
What is the climax in Nightjohn?
The conclusion is when Nightjohn comes back to teach Sarny and the other kids the alphabet in a hidden school in a bush. -The climax of the story is when Sarny got caught for writing the word “bag” everywhere and Delie and Nightjohn got punished for teaching her. This is the climax because it shows alot of emotions.
Who is the narrator of Nightjohn?
Sarny
The narrator and protagonist of the story is a young female African-American slave named Sarny. Sarny first sees Nightjohn when he is brought to the plantation with a rope around his neck, his body covered in scars.
Is Sarny a girl?
The film is about a young slave girl named Sarny, played by Allison Jones, who lives a hopeless life on a Southern plantation.
Why do you think Nightjohn was willing to teach Sarny to read despite the risk to both of them?
Nightjohn has a self-imposed mission—to teach slaves how to read and write. He believes knowledge is the key to helping slaves break out of bondage. Sarny is willing to take the risk, even knowing that the penalty for reading is dismemberment.
What is the setting in Nightjohn?
The novel is set on a plantation owned by a man named Waller in the Southern United States in the early 1850s. The narrator and protagonist of the story is a young female African-American slave named Sarny.
How does Sarny feel about Waller?
How does Sarny feel about Waller? How do you know? Sarny doesn’t like Waller and says he is nothing to her and she doesn’t respect him one bit and often calls him names behind his back and says she doesn’t refer to his as master but as nothing.
How old is Nightjohn in the book?
twelve-year-old
From the Inside Flap And twelve-year-old Sarny is willing to take the risk to learn. Set in the 1850s, Gary Paulsen’s groundbreaking new novel is unlike anything else the award-winning author has written.
How does Nightjohn end?
Thinking she will never see John again, Sarny is surprised when he returns for her one night a few months later. He takes her to a secret camp where he is teaching slaves to read. The story ends with the knowledge that Nightjohn has returned. He will bring hope to the slaves.
What condition was Nightjohn in when he came to the plantation?
What condition was NightJohn in when he came from the plantation? He had scars of whippings all over his body from his shoulders to the back of his knees. On page 27 it states, “His back was all over scars from old whippings.”
What motivates Nightjohn to teach reading and writing?
What are the characters in Nightjohn?
Clel Waller
SarnyAliceMammyNightjohn
Nightjohn/Characters
How was Nightjohn brought into the plantation?
NightJohn was brought to the plantation by taking the role of the horse by pulling the wagon. On page 26, it states, “Not in the wagon. He was walking, all alone in front of the horse.”