Amos Fortune, Free Man Literary Elements

Historical biographical novel, children's literature

Eighteenth-century Africa and New England, during the height of the slave trade

Third-person point of view following At-mun, an African prince/king who is seized and sold as a slave in the Americas, where he is renamed "Amos."

Straightforward, simple, serious

Protagonist: Amos Fortune (formerly At-mun), an African slave in America who must earn his freedom by working hard and being diligent. The real antagonist, instead of being any of his masters, is the racial prejudice of the time, which resulted in his slavery and the abusing of many of his countrymen.

At-mun is forcibly taken from his home and subjected to a life of slavery in America under the name "Amos." He must embrace his new life and work hard enough to earn enough money to buy his freedom, trying to make a change in the world and establish a life for himself as a free man.

Having bought his own freedom as well as those of his third wife, Violet, and her daughter, Celyndia, Amos opens his own tannery and establishes a content life for him and his family in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.

At-mun is separated from his sister, Ath-mun, at the beginning of the novel, and this separation foreshadows At-mun's lifelong attempt to reunite with his sister (which is ultimately unsuccessful).

"He stood tall and held out his hands to his people, but no smile gashed from his lips." ("Africa 1725")

This novel, set mostly in New England in the eighteenth century, alludes to some of the people and places notable at the time, as well as the Bible, which becomes a great symbol in Amos's life and from which he reads often.

In multiple passages throughout the novel, black slaves are described as being like obedient animals who have been trained to respect their masters. These descriptions occur when they are lined up at the pier, or when At-mun is asked to obey an order. This imagery is disheartening; it reflects the unfortunate reality of the times. There is, however, hope in opposition to this image, as seen by Amos's gradual acceptance into society.

The status of At-mun in his new society is paradoxical: formerly a king, he has been made into a slave, despite the fact that he is still royalty.

Amos meets a lovely African woman, buys her freedom, and marries her three separate times. These events obvious parallel one another, except the last one (Violet) survives longer than one year and becomes Amos's life partner.

"Tighten those irons." (referring to chains, "Africa 1725")

"Night came down swiftly over the equatorial forest." ("Africa 1725")