Children of Blood and Bone Essay
In Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, memorable ideas I have taken from this book is that because someone from a different background is displayed on media badly doesn’t mean that how they are described is how everyone from that background is the same. This idea is shown when “Amari remembers her father’s warning” Because of what he has said to Amari, she assumes they are going to attack. “When I look at her, I see her father’s face. Everything Inside me twists with hate” This line is from another character's point of view, Zeile. She assumes that Amari is just like her father.
Amari steps back, she remembers her father’s warnings. Because of her fathers warnings and stories she has been told from not only her father but other royals, she expects the Maji to attack her. “The Maji will come for you, he warned. The same words every time he forced us to spar. When they do, you must be prepared. The only thing going through Amari’s head is to get prepared to be attacked and try to outrun the Maji because of her fathers stories. She does not try to understand the Maji at first and does not give them a chance to speak. This relates to significant events that are happening all over the world that are still currently going on right now. Society judges people from what they see on the media, past experiences from others. A popular saying society knows is “We eat with our eyes” Meaning if we see something that doesn’t look appetizing we won’t eat it. This phrase is similar to problems society still goes through, we look at people with our eyes and instead of trying to understand one another. We judge with what we have heard from others.
In Chapter 9, Inan along with Admiral Kaea has burnt down Zeiles village. “Don’t!” “Amari screams as I drag her to the flames, but I can barely hear her over the blood pounding in my ears. When I look at her, I see her father’s face. Everything inside me twists with hate.” She presumes that Amari had brought them here because she was the only like to the Royal Family. Zeile drages Amari towards the flames because her face is so similar to her fathers face. Zeile can’t forgive what they did to her Mother. This is similar to many events that happen all over the world, they judge from the colour of your skin to what you have done in the past. This happens a lot with the POC (People Of Colour) Community and especially with the Black Community. Currently, there are protests for equality, to end racism because of recent events that happened not only inside the black community but also in the POC (People Of Colour) Community. I believe that those of the Black Community shouldn’t have to fight for equality and justice. They are no different to others, just because they are a different colour to you.
In Chapter 49, Amari goes through what she is about to do and flashbacks to what her father had said. “Strike, Amari. Father’s face returns. Hard. Unforgiving. This is what I warned you about. If we don’t fight, these maggots will be our end. But staring at Folake, I see the pain in Kwame’s eyes. The fear that weighed down Zu’s small shoulders. All the grief that lies in Father’s wake, the lives he’s already taken away… I cannot become like my father. The maji are not my enemy.” Amari finally starts to realise and understand that Maji aren’t as bad as how her father projects them to be. This relates to some of us completely believing what our parents have said about one another and what we should be careful of and not do. Because of recent events like the Black Lives Matter movement, some of society have gone out of their way to educate themselves and understand one side better other than just picking a side and fighting for that side.
To sum up Children of Blood and Bone Mankind has become to judge people on what they look like and not what their personality is or what they have gone through. Appearances can be deceiving: When we meet someone for the first time, we still make a decision based on their appearances, even though the proverb warns us not to do so. It's also one of the most obvious reasons why we shouldn't pass judgement on others. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
