Culture 2 - Minty

A. Bibliography:

Schroeder, Alan and illustrated by Pinkney, Jerry. 1996. Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 014056196X.

B. Plot Summary:

Minty is a young, eight year-old girl working as a slave on the Brodas plantation in Maryland. She has a mind of her own and has been known to not always come when she is called. The opening page reflects this defiance when the text states, "Minty giggled, and then stuck out her tongue just as far as it could go. I'll come when I'm good and ready, she thought. But she didn't dare day it; not out loud. That would mean a whipping for sure" (Schroeder, 1996).

Minty began working in the house doing chores, but after spilling a pitcher of cider on the table she was moved to the fields to do work. Minty was warned that this would be her last chance or she would be sold down south. During the work in the fields, Minty often dreamed of running away. At one point, she was forced to wade in the river and check the muskrat traps, but she was kind-hearted and released the muskrats if she found them in a trap. She was caught doing this and was beaten. This never stopped her from dreaming about running away. This book demonstrates the power of the human spirit.

C. Critical Analysis:

Minty offers many cultural markers that connect the story to African American culture. Minty is an authentic connection to African American culture because it offers information about slavery as an institution and its impact. The Brodas family represents the effects of racism and the brutality of the treatment of others. Throughout the story Mrs. Brodas mentions giving Minty a whipping. Minty is also a demonstration of the strength and resilience of the African American people and culture along with demonstrating the strength of African American families. Throughout the story when Minty gets in trouble her family is there to take care of her and continue to encourage her. Her father, Old Ben, knows how determined Minty is to run away and he begins teaching her things about the wilderness and survival skills.

Although Minty is the fictional story of a young Harriet Tubman, the reader can feel her determination to get out of her environment and be free. Even though she does not run away by the end of the story, the reader has a since that she will follow her dream and the north star her father told her to always look for. Minty is a book that exemplifies the human spirit. She is beaten, ridiculed, and forced to do work a child should never endure. And all the while the fire of freedom is burning inside her heart. Schroeder and Pickney capture the sheer will and determination of a young girl who through patience, multiple hardships, and perseverance eventually accomplishes her dream of freedom for herself and helped countless others achieve that dream as well. Which contributes to a final cultural marker that Minty exhibits, which is knowing, valuing, and preserving African American history and culture.

D. Review Excerpts:

Publishers Weekly: "This fictionalized account of Tubman's childhood on a Maryland plantation provides a cruel snapshot of life as a slave and the horrid circumstances that fueled the future Underground Railroad leader's passion and determination."

School Library Journal: "This beautifully illustrated and moving fictional story can be used to introduce Harriet Tubman and the injustice of slavery to young audiences. Minty is a spirited child who hides in order to shirk the commands of the temperamental Mrs. Brodas."

E. Connections:

Look for these other books for young people about African American history and culture:

Winter, Jeanette. Follow the Drinking Gourd. ISBN 0679819975.

Edwards, Pamela Duncan. Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad. ISBN 0064435199.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. ISBN 076851759.

Ringgold, Faith. Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky. ISBN 0517885433.