Plot, Themes, and Audience

Recommended Audience

Because Copper Sun does contain graphic and violent scenes (rape, abuse, murder, etc.) the book is recommended for a more mature audience. Recommended for grades 9-12.

Plot

Copper Sun opens on the happy setting of Amari in her African village, enjoying the pleasures of life and the love of family and friends. When white men arrive to her village for the first time, the inhabitants welcome them with open arms. However, they soon realize that these pale skinned strangers are not a friendly group, as the begin to murder most of the villagers and burn down Amari's village. With the strongest youth chained and put aboard a ship, we set off with Amari on her journey to America on a slave ship, where the young girl encounters horrors she never imagined possible. Once the boat reaches land, Amari is sold to Mr. Derby's family as a birthday present for his eldest son, Clay. Another young girl is bought by Mr. Derby at the same time-- a white girl named Polly who has 14 years left in her indentured servitude. Polly has no interest in connecting with Amari, and sees herself as superior because of the color of her skin and the eventual freedom she will earn. However, as time on the plantation goes on, and the girls face horrendous treatments, a bond is formed between the two of them. They connect with one another, and find solace in other inhabitants of the plantation, such as the humorous cook Teenie and her young son Tidbit, as well as Mr. Derby's pregnant second wife, who's baby is fathered not by Mr. Derby but a slave Noah whom Mr. Derby's wife confesses to being deeply in love with. When Mr. Derby discovers this, he murders both the newborn and Noah in front of the plantation, and whips and locks Amari and Polly in the storage room overnight as punishment for hiding this information. The two escape in the morning, grabbing young Tidbit, and head south for Fort Mose in search of freedom. Facing countless trials and dangerous encounters, the three escapees rely on one another through this impossible journey to freedom, eventually reaching the fort at the end of the novel.

Themes

Slave Trade/Slavery: The novel follows Amari from the root of the American Slave Trade in her village in Africa. It shows the horrors that African tribes would face when the white man came in to gather slaves to bring back to America. The novel also shows what it was like on the boats of slave ships and the horrible conditions that those who were being brought for slavery had to endure. Amari witnesses starvation, abuse, rape, etc. on her journey across the ocean. Once reaching America, the book provides insight into the conditions of slavery. The abuse, both physical and verbal, is outlined vividly as we are provided insight through Amari as to what slaves had to be put through.

Ownership: The concept of ownership goes along with this theme of slavery, as white people back during this time believed that slaves and Africans were simply property that could be bought and sold. We see this ownership in the purchasing of Amari and Polly, how the slaves are treated as objects, and how Clay, like many other white men during this time, used sexual dominance over Amari as another means of ownership. This theme is two-fold, because we see a different kind of ownership with Polly, who is not a slave but an indentured servent. We see how she is treated differently because she is white, but still treated as property.

Family: As slaves are brought and sold to their owners, they are often separated from their families. Whether their family members are murdered before even reaching America (like Amari's) or they are sold to a different family, slaves often lose their family. In this novel we see how bonds can be formed to create a new famliy among slaves. We see Amari and Polly put aside their racial difference and create a bond that is as close as sisters. The character of Afi who cares for Amari after she is raped, as well as Teenie who becomes a mother figure to Amari. We also see at the end that Amari adopts Teenie's four-year-old son, Tidbit, as her and Polly escape for freedom. These connections show how slaves would build their own families and care for one another to try and survive the hardships of slavery.

Freedom/Hope: Freedom is attained for Amari and Polly at the end of the novel when the reach Fort Mose in Florida. However, the book shows how hard it is for slaves to acquire their own freedom. The two girls and young Tidbit face months of a hard journey, and find themselves very lucky to reach their ultimate goal. This idea also shows how hope can be the strongest factor in finding the power to fight for freedom. The girls never gave up hope, and often times it is this hope for freedom that gave slaves the courage and power to fight their hardest to survive.