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| Plot Summary of The Known World |
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"Jones writes about the fictional Virginia county of Manchester and peoples it with a host of vivid characters and their interrelationships. When Henry Townsend bought his freedom from slavery, he followed in the footsteps of his mentor, white slave-owner, William Robbins. Henry runs a plantation of over 30 slaves, an irony that is not lost on the slaves themselves nor on Henry's father, Augustus, whose principled stand against slaveholding by free blacks costs him very dearly. When Henry dies, his wife is unable to cope with her grief and life for his slaves is turned on its ear as slaves run away, an ambitious overseer plots to fill Henry's shoes, and slave patrollers descend with a vicious brutality."
Jennifer Martin-Romme, Resident Scholar
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""The Known World" is an account of the life of Henry Townsend, a black slave owner in Virginia. It begins with his death and tells his story through flashbacks. He is born into slavery, but his father, a master wood worker, manages to buy freedom for himself and eventually the rest of his family. While still enslaved, Henry becomes a favorite of his white master. After he is freed and gets some land, he is persuaded to get some slaves of his own. He builds a house and marries, and his lands prosper, but when he dies at a young age his estate begins to fall apart. His wife cannot handle the slaves, and some run off before she can manage to regain control.
The novel focuses on the relationships between free blacks, slaves and the white community."
Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Known World |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 19th century
Political/social activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- slavery
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- slaver
- farmer
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- society
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- slaver
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
- an above average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 5 ()
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
- Deep South
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- farm
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to torture
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Unusual Style:
- a lot of flashback and forwards
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Edward P. Jones Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Jack Goodstein
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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