Pages: 15-43

Author: Patricia C McKissack

Title: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl

In this part of the book Clotee writes about a new girl, Spicy. Spicy was described as a strong girl. She came from a different plantation. She said that the master was very brutal. When Spicy messed up on night at a dinner party Miss Lilly hit her with what “looked like a tree branch” when Clotee saw her back she was scared. Also, the slaves were allowed to hold and Easter Sunday service. In this entry Clotee describes how the master came down and told them to stop singing about freedom.

This book helps me understand life in the big house as a slave. All the other books I’ve read have been about slaves in the fields. There are also a lot of books about maybe the child of the master being good friends and escaping slavery. Clotee and Spicy are very different. Clotee and Hince can joke and say mean things to each other and laugh. On the other hand, when Spicy and Hince kid with each other Spicy gets very upset. I think that this happens now when people can be sensitive or insensitive. I think that this book is very good at showing how the slaves were scared but almost used to it. I think that it is interesting how the master likes Aunt Tee. I think it is sad how when Clotee writes a word she sees a picture but when she writes “freedom” she doesn’t see anything. She describes this as frustrating. I wonder if she will get out of slavery by the end if the book?