Nightjohn is a story that is set in the south during the time of slavery.
Based on an actual incident
, Gary Paulsen tells about a young slave girl, Sarny, who it taught to read by another slave, Nightjohn. The book is very well written, complete with dialect that makes the book even more interesting to read.
Who is Nightjohn in Nightjohn?
The novel is set on the Waller plantation in the Southern United States in the early 1850s. The narrator and protagonist of the story is a young female African-American slave named
Sarny
. Sarny first sees Nightjohn when he is brought to the plantation with a rope around his neck, his body covered in scars.
Why do they call John Nightjohn?
His name comes from
the fact that he must teach at night, in the dark, because educating slaves is forbidden
. But this brave man is determined to bring letters and words, leading to knowledge and freedom, to any of the slaves who want it badly enough to risk punishment. Sarny is the narrator of the story.
How old is Nightjohn in Nightjohn?
She is
twelve
, and people think she is “dumb”, because she has “a stuck tongue”, and when she was born she “come out wrong…all backwards and twixt-and-twinst”. In reality, however, Sarny is very intelligent, and learns how to read very quickly. Nightjohn is a slave who is brought to the Waller plantation.
What is Nightjohn based on?
| Nightjohn | Based on Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen | Written by Gary Paulsen (book) Bill Cain (teleplay) | Directed by Charles Burnett | Starring Allison Jones Beau Bridges Carl Lumbly Lorraine Toussaint Bill Cobbs Gabriel Casseus |
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What grade level is nightjohn?
| ATOS Book Level: 3.8 | Interest Level: Middle Grades (MG 4-8) | AR Points: 1.0 | Rating: | Word Count: 10801 |
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How does nightjohn end?
Thinking she will never see John again, Sarny is surprised when he returns for her one night a few months later. He takes her to a secret camp where he is teaching slaves to read. The story
ends with the knowledge that Nightjohn has returned
. He will bring hope to the slaves.
How does sarny find out that Nightjohn is coming?
Sarny first sees Nightjohn
when he is brought to the plantation with a rope around his neck
, his body covered with scars from many beatings. Sarny is drawn to Nightjohn when she learns that he had escaped North to freedom, only to voluntarily return to the South.
Who is the main character of Nightjohn?
Sarny
is the main character in Nightjohn. In the story, Sarny is a spunky, perceptive, and resourceful young girl.
What is sarny’s last name in Nightjohn?
John “Nightjohn” Waller
John Waller
is an escaped slave who returns to the South with the mission of teaching other slaves how to read. Like all slaves, John has taken on the last name of his owner, Waller, and his true birth name is unknown.
What has happened to sarny since NightJohn left?
What has happened to Sarny since NightJohn left?
Sarny has been thinking of new word with the letters she learned
, but also she has been scared of getting found out.
What happened to sarny’s mother?
Who has raised Sarny? ~Sarny’s
mother was sold by Waller to another slave owner
, after that, Sarny was raised by Old Delie, who is the only mother she knows/remembers. 7.
How does sarny know how old she is?
How does Sarny know she is
12 years old
? She uses a stick with notches cut into it to see her age.
Why did the master whip Alice?
In Chapter 4, the master whipped Alice
because she took to wandering in his yard and the vicinity of his house without permission
. According to Sarny, field slaves were never allowed to enter the yard or to go up to the master’s white house. … Sarny maintains that the whipping left Alice a broken woman.
How much money did Clel Waller pay when he bought NightJohn?
How much money did Clel Waller pay when he bought Nightjohn? What does this tell you about NightJohn? He payed
$1000 dollars
for NightJohn. That shows NightJohn is a talented slave.
Is nightjohn appropriate for middle school?
Editorial Reviews
“
Nightjohn should be required reading (and discussing) for all middle grade and high school students
.” “Among the most powerful of Paulsen’s works, this impeccable researched novel sheds light on cruel truths in American history as it traces the experiences of a 12-year-old slave girl in the 1850s.”
