51 pages • 1-hour read
The Book of Night Women
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Background
Historical Context: Jamaica in 18th and 19th Century
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to anti-Black racism, colonialism, and the history of enslavement.
While slavery was widely prevalent in the Western world and its colonies, slavery in Jamaica was notoriously brutal. The life expectancy for an enslaved person working on a sugar plantation in Jamaica was seven years. Whereas in the United States birth rates were higher than death rates among the enslaved population, in Jamaica starvation and deadly working conditions were so common that the death rate far exceeded the birth rate. In addition, as stated in the novel, the situation in Jamaica is unique in that enslaved Black people outnumbered white enslavers by 33 to one. In short, both enslavers and enslaved knew that the situation was unsustainable, only further proven by the continuous stream of rebellions. The book lists 27 attempts at rebellion before this date, but a turning point occurred in 1791 when enslaved people revolted in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), taking over the government and burning down the city. As in Saint-Domingue, white people in Jamaica knew that they were outnumbered and were therefore terrified of rebellion. This fear of rebellion and the brutal treatment of enslaved peoples became a self-perpetuating cycle, as enslavers used brutality to quell their fears, sparked rebellions by the way they treated enslaved peoples, thus heightening their own fears.
Linguistic Context: Jamaican Patois
James wrote the novel in Jamaican Patois, which is a language based in English with influences from other languages, especially those spoken in West Africa. His decision to write in Jamaican Patois reflects the truth of the narrator’s identity. As a tool to oppress and control the population of enslaved people in Jamaica, English men forced enslaved people to speak their language, and it was out of this context that there emerged the new language of Jamaican Patois. James published this book in the United States in a publishing industry that champions Standard American English and while he was working as a professor in an education system that requires children to read and write in Standard American English. By writing this book in Jamaican Patois, James challenges the idea that Standard American English is the only correct way to write in an English-speaking country.
This decision also has a literary effect, since the language of the novel diverges significantly from the way people in the US were taught to communicate; therefore, the novel invites consideration of the influence of language and education. This decision also emphasizes the impact of a written story. Lilith teaches her daughter Lovey how to read and write in part so that she can tell the story of the night women. James’s use of Patois underscores the importance of being able to tell one’s own story.
Cultural Context: West African Culture and Religion
Obeah is a form of religion and witchcraft that enslaved people from West Africa brought to the West Indies. This practice is thought to have been brought by members of the Ashanti tribe, which white people call Coromantee. Enslavers feared Obeah because it was often used as an explanation for the success of rebellions. Enslavers struggled to understand Obeah and its tools and as a result, it became a powerful force on plantations. Their fear led to the practice of Obeah being made illegal in 1760. It remains illegal today.
In the novel, women practice Obeah to mysterious ends. At times, spontaneous bouts of vomiting or pain deter attackers from Lilith. At other times, Lilith requests a woman’s use of Obeah and the woman ends up dead rather than sick, apparently because this was Lilith’s truest desire. Obeah mystifies Lilith in part because she is born on the plantation rather than in Africa like Homer. The magical occurrences in this novel are a sign of the power of enslaved people. Obeah kills people, mysterious forces urge Lilith to rebel, and the night woman appears to Lovey to tell the story of the women at Montpelier. Obeah represents the power of the practices and beliefs that enslaved people bring from their homeland.
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