Page 31 ; last paragraph
"Intense, fiery pain pierced the sweaty softness of the skin above her left shoulder. Amari could hear her flesh sizzle, and she nearly fainted as she realized she was being branded."
Explanation: The slaves, both men and women were branded (stamped on with a hot iron) so the slave owners could identify them if they were to escape.
Page 30 ; 2nd para. sent. 6-8
"Amari saw cloth also being exchanged and jewelry and gold in her village, but she knew what it was. She knew it held the value of her life."
Explanation: At the slave auction, a slave would go to the highest bidder, almost like a piece of property, and the buyer would give fine materialistic items as well as gold for slaves.
Page 15 ; sent. 3-4
"The charred and bloodied bodies of relatives remained where they had fallen, with no one to perform proper rituals for burials, no one to say the prayers for the dead. Amari knew that the pale strangers probably did not understand the seriousness of the proper burial procedures, but the Ashanti were people of her own land, supposedly brothers in spirit.
Explanation: African tribes had heavily cultural beliefs. This tribe's culture believed in proper burial rituals for the deceased. If not performed they believed that they somehow were betraying the dead.
Page 6 ; line 4
""Will we have a dance and celebration for the guests, Mother?" she asked hopefully. "And Father's storytelling?"
Explanation: Most African tribes' culture called for big 'celebrations' whenever guests arrive.
Page 33-34
"The sunset that evening was unlike any Amari had ever seen. The spirit of the copper sun seemed to bleed for them as it glowed bright red against the deepening blue of the great water."
Explanation: The sun was such a red that it seemed to Amari to bleed for them because she felt that she has bled to the point of no more.
"Intense, fiery pain pierced the sweaty softness of the skin above her left shoulder. Amari could hear her flesh sizzle, and she nearly fainted as she realized she was being branded."
Explanation: The slaves, both men and women were branded (stamped on with a hot iron) so the slave owners could identify them if they were to escape.
Page 30 ; 2nd para. sent. 6-8
"Amari saw cloth also being exchanged and jewelry and gold in her village, but she knew what it was. She knew it held the value of her life."
Explanation: At the slave auction, a slave would go to the highest bidder, almost like a piece of property, and the buyer would give fine materialistic items as well as gold for slaves.
Page 15 ; sent. 3-4
"The charred and bloodied bodies of relatives remained where they had fallen, with no one to perform proper rituals for burials, no one to say the prayers for the dead. Amari knew that the pale strangers probably did not understand the seriousness of the proper burial procedures, but the Ashanti were people of her own land, supposedly brothers in spirit.
Explanation: African tribes had heavily cultural beliefs. This tribe's culture believed in proper burial rituals for the deceased. If not performed they believed that they somehow were betraying the dead.
Page 6 ; line 4
""Will we have a dance and celebration for the guests, Mother?" she asked hopefully. "And Father's storytelling?"
Explanation: Most African tribes' culture called for big 'celebrations' whenever guests arrive.
Page 33-34
"The sunset that evening was unlike any Amari had ever seen. The spirit of the copper sun seemed to bleed for them as it glowed bright red against the deepening blue of the great water."
Explanation: The sun was such a red that it seemed to Amari to bleed for them because she felt that she has bled to the point of no more.