English
The Price of a Child
Ginnie Pryor is a Virginia plantation slave who had three children with her slave master. Ginnie had been dreaming of freedom all her life. When she had enough of slavery and found out that Pennsylvania is a free state, Ginnie and two of her children left their life of slavery and set out to be free. Unfortunately, Ginnie’s youngest baby, Bennie, is still in Virginia with his father. Ginnie’s master, Jackson Pryor, goes to court to win his family back. Upon reaching Pennsylvania, she was no longer known as Ginnie Pryor, but as Mercer Gra Mercer got a job and made friends. When Mercer met Tyree her life takes a spin. Tyree is a married man and when Mercer moves in with him Tyree falls in love with her. He is not happy with his wife and he is in love with Mercer. I think Lorene Cary is an excellent writer.
She really shows Mercer’s emotions through her writing. I can feel the pain Mercer feels when she leaves her baby Bennie behind. I can feel the excitement through Mercers voice when the trial is finally over and she can call herself a free black woman. Cary really brings out the emotion that Mercer feels about her frustration with white society.
This story is filled with mixed emotions: love, lust, disappointment, failure, excitement, and accomplishment. I really admired Mercer’s character because she is a determined and strong woman who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. She had a hard time but she doesn’t let that get in her way of success. I strongly respect that and wish I had some of the qualities that Mercer had.
Allie, I enjoyed reading the second half of your post the most, the section where you talk about your reactions to the novel. I'm not sure that need as much plot summary as you have provided at the beginning of this. I would have like have read more about your reactions as a reader and other thoughts you might have on Cary's novel.
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