...then perhaps, you are nothing. M. T. Anderson's fine novel, "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" allows the reader to explore this premise through the eyes of Octavian Gitney, a young boy who has not yet come to the realization that he is a slave. Set in pre-Revolutionary Boston, "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" highlights the often ignored fact that slavery existed not only in the southern colonies, but also throughout the northern colonies. While these individuals may have been referred to as "servants," the fact is they were slaves, owned by those who had purchased them. The story is narrated by Octavian, personalizing the work and making the events occurring throughout the text intimate and very intense, much more so than a third person narrative would have done.
Octavian and his mother are the subjects of an experiment being conducted by the Novanglian College of Lucidity, a group of scholars. The experiment seeks to determine whether individuals of African descent are able to be taught and accomplish the same niceties as individuals of European ancestry. Ironically, in treating Cassiopeia and Octavian as experimental "animals," the College negates the possibility of proving whether the premise is valid or not. Further, Octavian, his mother, and the other servants are the only individuals, initially, who are referred to by name. Members of the college have been assigned numbers, which dehumanizes those individuals in the same way they have attempted to dehumanize others. It is only as the novel proceeds and individuals begin to show some sympathy for Octavian that a name is given the particular individual within the story's context.
This is an extraordinary novel. The provocative themes which run throughout the book cause the reader to pause and consider what might have been had slavery not existed for nearly 100 years following the American Revolution. Written partly as a personal narrative, but also incorporating fictionalized examples of newspaper clippings and postings, the era in which the novel is set is reinforced in both its tone and attitude. While the novel is purported to be geared toward readers from ninth grade and beyond, it is really a novel for any reader who seeks literature that is thought-provoking and intelligently written. I recommend "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" for anyone who loves to read. This is a novel that will stay with you long after you have placed it on the shelf.
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Thought it was a good book...but no
I ordered a new book but when I start reading it I noticed that some of the pages have been scratch out with ink. I am not happy because this book is for a school project.😡
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