Commentary On The Book 'Chains' By Laurie Halse Anderson

“If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl? And if a girl was to seek her freedom, how could she do such a fool-headed thing, Especially a girl trapped in New York? (Isabel). In the book Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, the author uses the protagonist’s traits, actions, and dialogue to help the reader understand how the main character, Isabel, changes throughout the story. Isabel’s actions and speech reveal that she goes from feeling scared and hopeless from being sold as a slave to becoming determined to obtain her freedom, finally she becomes brave and gains enough courage to run away from her abusive owners.

But, the way the author used symbolism, foreshadowing, and relatable quotes stood out to me the most. When I was reading and even after, I found myself making connections and thinking deeper into the books

The book was very well put together and organized with documented evidence and interviews from important people. A lot of research was put into this book and all the research used is cited in the back of the book. Since the topic is such a controversial topic I understand that all the information had to be correctly used which is why the research was so in-depth. The book was easy to read there was a few words I was unsure of and had to define in order to better understand them. The situation itself brought up other issues of that time such as: social, economic, and politics. The conclusion at the end really helps by summing up some main points considering there is a lot of information throughout the reading. The drawing and pictures included in the text are very interesting and it is really cool to get to see

  “Slavery proved as injurious to her as it did to me. When I went there, she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.”

For the most part, the novel was very enjoyable. One aspect of it that I loved was that the storyline was extremely intense, which always compelled me to find out what would happen next. For example,

The book I read was called Chains written by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was about standing up for your self even if you are not the biggest person or the most powerful person in the room. I think it teaches a lot of children a lesson. You can stand up for yourself, no mater what atmosphere you are in. A lot of people struggle with feeling not important and people can say what they want, because you don't matter. The author did a really great job of teaching that lesson.

The book is a good book because it makes you ask questions while you're reading it but what's happening and to get a better understanding on what's happening in the story. Like in my book the characters wonder if their dad is going to come home from the war and if he's alive or dead. This makes you question if he is really dead or alive

During the colonial era, there were three groups of people with three varying political beliefs; the Patriots, the Loyalists, and the slaves. In the novel Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, she writes about how the term “Freedom and Liberty” meant something different to each of the groups. This liberating idea drove the different parties to act a certain way throughout the book. For example, the Patriots fought courageously against Britain even though they posed no threat whatsoever to them. The Loyalists, on the other hand, conquered entire Rebel cities to drown out the Patriots’ beliefs. Lastly, the slaves would act fearlessly and do things to spite their masters regardless of their political position. All in all, these diverse classes of

The life of a slave was an unfair and unjust degrading way to live. "I was often awakened at the dawn of the day by the most heart-rending shrieks, the louder that they screamed the harder they got whipped. Where the blood ran the fastest, there he whipped the longest" (Douglass, 3). Slaves were classified as property; they were inferior

“Chains” by Laurie Halse Anderson portrays the life of Isabel, a young slave in the American Colonies. When her master died, she was promised freedom out of her will. However, her master’s nephew took her ownership and is sold to the Lockton family. During this period of hardship, another great conflict takes place. The American Revolution.

What does this account reveal about the nature of slavery and how slavery affected southern society?

In the book, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main character Isabel has lived in many different places throughout the book.She has lived in plantation, the Lockton’s home in New York, and the small farm that Miss Mary Finch owned before her death.City life for a slave was usually pretty good depending on your master. In the book Isabel unfortunately gets stuck Madam Lockton who treats her worse than a slave owner usually would. Slaves would usually go to the market many times a day to get their master anything they needed as often as they needed it. The work load for a city slave was usually the basic cleaning and cooking for the slave’s master. Small farms was in the middle of city life and plantation life. The work would often be tending

The novel Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a story about a slave who is trying to find freedom for herself and her sister. The protagonist, Isabel, is a slave who wants her freedom but is bound to work for Madam Lockton. This historical fiction novel is an adventurous tale about slavery and war in New York. Freedom is worth fighting for because without freedom you are becoming what another person wants you to become, not what kind of person you want to be. Also, without freedom you can’t be the person that can make a difference in society and change how people think or feel.

A law was made that allowed all slaves who fought in the war to be free after one year of fighting. The slave’s owner, of course, had to consent. Over the course of the revolution, the concept of a slave went from a lowly character to a person of worth – anybody fighting for the colonies was respected for standing up for the rights of the colonies.

I really liked the book. It was very enjoyable to read. I would recommend it to my friends, because I think they