William's impact on Henry

         Though it appeared fairly early in the novel, one of the most defining moments for me from The Known World was the moment when Augustus and Mildred were revoked the ability to visit their son, Henry, by William Robbins.

            After Augustus pays for his and Mildred’s freedom, he waits to save the money to pay for his son. However, that doesn’t stop them from making the weekly trek out to see their son every Sunday. They even bring him food and warm coals for the wagon in the winter. After Henry neglects to show up to meet his parents a few times Augustus feels the need to speak with him about the matter. Augustus punishes henry for his rude behavior by pushing him down to the ground and threatening him.

            After this instance, Henry’s owner William berates Augustus for his actions. He calls Henry “his property” and insists that Augustus doesn’t have the right to punish Henry. This really stood out to me because it put the idea of slavery into perspective. Even though Augustus is Henry’s biological father, he is not seen as his “owner.” William owns Henry because he is his slave. The idea that people are considered as property rather then legitimate human beings is probably one of the hardest things for me to swallow while reading this novel. We are taught about slavery throughout our school, but I believe this novel does a much better job at immersing you and making you feel the severity of the issue.

            Another reason this is a pivotal moment in the novel is because it is one of the first defining moments William has in Henry’s life. Throughout the novel, William takes on a bit of a fatherly role with Henry. It becomes so strong that Henry eventually becomes distanced from his biological father in favor of William. This could be seen as one of the pivotal factors in Henry becoming a slave owner himself later in life. He has forgotten what his father told him about remembering “the right way.” Henry begins to pick up William’s mannerisms and outlooks on the world. This desensitizes Henry to the plights of African-Americans and their battles with slavery. Ultimately, this is one of the most defining moments for the development of the characters throughout the book.