The Poet Slave of Cuba
Juan Francisco Manzano is a slave in Cuba in 1797. He was a different kind of slave though. They would be treated better then other at first. He would be a like a poodle. Well that how he would call him self that. While other thought that he was treated more like a prince. They would teach him how to say word that would seem funny. His mother loved her son but, the other mother (Juan’s owner) wanted him too. By the way I thought that she kept him for her use. Juan’s owner was named La MarQuesa de Prado Ameno. His real mother was named Maria Del Pilar.
Juan is a very clever boy because he would know how to make poems. He would read other poems then take the form and main point to put it in his own words. Juan wanted to learn and because of his owner he was able to. Though when his owner got mad at Juan she would get the overseer and whipped him. For nine days he would be in a room and tied him up. Owww!! If you loved him and never want to leave him then why make him suffer. His real mother would cry ever time he was in there being whipped!
But one day they thought he had stolen a coin. Poor Juan and yes he said he did it because Juan thought she was right. They hurt him so much that they broken his nose.
Ever since they would blame thing on him. One time he was hit so hard that he couldn’t walk. Thanks to the overseer Juan was alive because the overseer wouldn’t hit him anymore behind Juan’s fake mother.
When she is nice to Juan she lets him stand behind her while playing cards. When she wins money she would give it to Juan.
His real mother saved up money to free Juan and her but when she did the other mother didn’t want to. They sometime would both be whipped. Juan loved his real mother that when she tried to stop his mother from crying. He did this by whisper in her ear poems about angles.
Then owner’s son named Don Nicolas takes Juan and becomes his owner. Now instead of bothers Don Nicolas is his “father“. Juan felt free though he couldn’t go outside with out Don Nicolas. While living there he would be challenged in a poem challenged. He would win every time. They called him the Poet Salve. Poet as his first name and Slave as his last name. He was famous and his fake mother and want him back home.
So, it was the same he gets blame and puts him in the room were he is whipped. Then she takes him back home feeling bad. She gives him money when she wins in the card games. Every bit she wins goes to him. Though he and his fake mother more like a step mother now would spend time, Juan would still make time for his real mother. Still one day she left and left money so he can be free. Instead he bout candles, paper and Ink to write poems at nigh when he is not working.
Though one day he found true love. Juan would send flowers to her. But not even that would be enough. So, one day he took off. Juan is a run away slave now and that’s the ending of the Poetic Slave. Juan wanted to be free.
I think Juan’s obstacle was that he didn’t know what he wanted until the end of the story. Like he didn’t know what side of the line he wanted to be on. The one where he is free or the one were he is with his step mother. Well that’s what I think. Juan’s adversity was His fake mother because she never wanted to let go of him. She would stop him from doing what he wanted which was to be free and write poems. I can learn from Juan is that it’s never too late to choice your life style. Like when at the end he ran away. I can put this in my life by think things though it might take you years.
What I liked was that Juan would be there for his real mother no mater what. He would tell her poems about angles so she would stop crying. Juan grows up faster to rilzes that he had to help his mom. To do that he had to heal him self. I didn’t like that for nine days Juan and sometimes with his mother would be in the room whipped too. That harsh if she cared about him so much that she wanted to be his mother.
I think someone that likes history and poems would like this because this was real. Juan is a real person and if you don’t understand poems then you can’t read this. If you get lost easily then don’t read this book. I rate it a 5 because I get lost sometimes. I think 11 and older can red this because of the harsh things that happen.
Tahis Arias
