BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2008. Chains. New York: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. ISBN 9781416905851
SUMMARY
Isabel Finch is an African American slave whose mother and previous owner have both passed on. According to the will of her previous owner, Isabel and her younger sister, Ruth, are to be freed; however, this will is in the possession of lawyer who has left town. Isabel and Ruth are sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lockton and shipped to New York City to be their house servants. Mrs. Lockton is cruel and malevolent, often physically punishing Isabel for disobedience and has Ruth sold to another location without Isabel’s knowledge. Mr. Lockton is a Loyalist who supports England in the face of the American Revolution. Isabel befriends a slave boy, Curzon, and becomes a spy, relaying information about Lockton’s plans to the American army in hopes of freeing herself and her sister. The American army takes her information but does nothing to assist Isabel. She becomes a double agent, delivering information to whichever side, British or American, seems most likely to help her. When she learns that neither military can be trusted to keep their word, she takes matters into her own hands and stages an escape. After procuring provisions, Isabel runs from the Locktons’ estate and frees Curzon from a prison for captured American troops. Together, they steal a boat and leave the shore of New York City behind.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Laurie Halse Anderson begins her work on a superstitious note. The story is told in first person from the vantage point of Isabel Finch, a young teenage slave girl from Rhode Island. Isabel is mature for her age, having to grow up too soon in order to adapt to the life of a slave, which is apparent in her character voice. The vocabulary used reflects Isabel’s rural heritage; however, the excellent usage of grammar in her thoughts and speech reflect her level of education. Isabel was taught to read. Anderson’s narrative flows smoothly, description of territories and people are given, but not overwhelming. A reader can get a sense of setting without being burdened with too many facts.
To introduce readers to the plight of slaves, Anderson chooses to begin the story with a tone of frustration and anxiety. Isabel, being African American and a slave, is ignored when she insists that a will written by Mrs. Finch, her newly deceased owner, frees her and her sister, Ruth. Instead of going to the trouble of tracking down the lawyer who penned the will for verification, the reverend shoos Isabel and her sister away to Mrs. Finch’s son who insists that he is their new owner. Isabel and Ruth are treated like possessions, items to be sold. Mr. Robert has the girls gather their shoes and blankets for they will be more easily sold if they come with their own accessories. Isabel and Ruth comply as if these demands and procedures are not unusual. Isabel lapses into memory, recalling how their father was killed during an auction when slave owners sold Isabel, Ruth and their mother to one buyer and him to another. Readers get a sense of the powerlessness of slaves, and also a feel for the various cultures the slaves were stolen away from. Superstitions from the Islands and Africa pepper Isabel’s thoughts.
Isabel and Ruth are brought to a tavern owned by a woman who once knew Isabel’s mother and remembers Isabel from when she was a small child. This woman used to be an indentured servant. Some readers may be unfamiliar with this term. In lower level grade schools, students are introduced to the concept of slavery, but not indentured service. Throughout the novel, more indentured servants, immigrants from European countries, are introduced. Anderson cleverly provides details to this new, yet old historical world. She also foreshadows important events to come. The woman who knew Isabel’s mother recalls that Isabel has an incredible memory, which becomes imperative later when Isabel is to remember conversations and details stolen from her new master to give to an enemy army.
Readers will learn much about the beginnings of the American Revolution through Isabel’s mundane tasks. Most slave owners speak freely in front of their slaves, not considering them people, so Isabel learns much about what is going on England and what plans are being staged. She learns about what is going on in the American army from gossip at the water pump, in the kitchen, and from the wives of soldiers. She learns about slaves gaining freedom from British Loyalist soldiers simply for being slaves in the households of those who support the American Revolution. Many slaves turn soldier in hopes to gain their freedom through service in the American military. She hears stories of war brutalities from her friend Curzon and visits imprisoned American soldiers to see how inhumanely they are treated.
Readers are exposed first-hand to what happens to slaves who disobey. We feel Isabel’s pain as she is branded and her sister is stolen from her in the night. Anderson assigns dates to the beginnings of her chapters as if Isabel is keeping a diary, though the narrative is not epistolarian. The dates can help readers keep a timeline of events. Anderson uses historical staple battles to move the plot along according to the results of the battles’ outcomes. The mundane tasks that Isabel performs for her mistress inform readers of the typical social norms of rich well-to-do ladies in the Revolutionary time period, as well as the norms of those in lower social classes. Anderson uses dialects which also clearly depict social standings and origin. The wives of the soldiers who live with the Locktons near the end of the novel use slang that clearly separate them from the more proper terms used by snooty Mrs. Lockton.
Anderson successfully recreates the Colonial era as the Revolutionary War begins through the eyes and ears of an interesting and sympathetic character that can be respected for her intelligence and loyalty to her sister and friend. Readers will feel Isabel’s frustration, her depression, her desperation and her hope as she moves forward in this time period to gain her freedom and reunite with her sister. The war is but a backdrop to Isabel’s concerns as she attempts to use it to further her own plans. In this world, no one is to be trusted, and Isabel learns to rely on herself.
Young readers will be inspired by Isabel’s story. Anderson’s accurate depiction of the time period and brilliant way of staging the story as the Revolutionary War erupts will intrigue readers into finding other literature and historical sources to learn more about this crucial time in American history. Anderson provides author’s notes where she answers questions and provides her sources for all of those interested in her inspiration and her research.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Grade 6–10—Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom. The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic. An author's note gives insight into issues surrounding the Revolutionary War and the fight for the nation's freedom even though 20 percent of its people were in chains. Well researched and affecting in its presentation, the story offers readers a fresh look at the conflict and struggle of a developing nation.—Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD, SLJ
*Starred Review* In the spring of 1776, Isabel, a teenage slave, and her sister, Ruth, are sold to ruthless, wealthy loyalists in Manhattan. While running errands, Isabel is approached by rebels, who promise her freedom (and help finding Ruth, who has been sent away) if she agrees to spy. Using the invisibility her slave status brings, Isabel lurks and listens as Master Lockton and his fellow Tories plot to crush the rebel uprisings, but the incendiary proof that she carries to the rebel camp doesn’t bring the desired rewards. Like the central character in M. T. Anderson’s Octavian Nothing duet, Isabel finds that both patriots and loyalists support slavery. The specifics of Isabel’s daily drudgery may slow some readers, but the catalogue of chores communicates the brutal rhythms of unrelenting toil, helping readers to imagine vividly the realities of Isabel’s life. The story’s perspective creates effective contrasts. Overwhelmed with domestic concerns, Isabel and indeed all the women in the household learn about the war from their marginalized position: they listen at doors to rooms where they are excluded, and they collect gossip from the streets. Anderson explores elemental themes of power (“She can do anything. I can do nothing,” Isabel realizes about her sadistic owner), freedom, and the sources of human strength in this searing, fascinating story. The extensive back matter includes a documented section that addresses many questions about history that readers will want to discuss. Grades 7-10. --Gillian Engberg, Booklist.
CONNECTIONS
If young readers enjoyed reading the story of Isabel and want to continue the story where it left off, they may be interested in reading the sequel to Chains:
Halse, Laurie Anderson. 2010. Forge. New York: Athenum. ISBN 978-1416961444
If young readers have developed an interest for stories set during the American Revolutionary War, they may be interested in the following titles which are told from the vantage points of various young adults living in the time period.
Paulsen, Gary. 2010. Woods Runner. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 978-0385738842
Rinaldi, Ann. 2004. The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre. Boston: Graphia. ISBN 978-0152050788
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