Minty, A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, is an
account of Harriet Tubman’s childhood as a slave on the Brodas
plantation on Maryland’s eastern shore. Although some of the
scenes have been invented for narrative purposes, the basic facts are
true. Author Alan Schroeder tells of Tubman's early life in a way that
reflects Tubman's spirited desire for freedom and the obstacles she faced
in its attainment.
Minty, as Harriet was known as a child, is independent,
feisty and incapable of being a docile slave. Her dream of freedom
burns brightly even when she is whipped for freeing muskrats from
her master's traps. The bold, brave 8-year-old is counseled by her mother
to be more docile and to try not to anger her owners any more than
she had already done. Her father, however, recognizing her strong
hunger
for freedom, points to the stars in the sky and teaches her survival
skills that will be useful when she grows up to become the most famous
conductor of the Underground Railroad.
Minty offers opportunities for
philosophical discussion on the the meaning of love, the difference between right
and wrong, and the value of freedom. Minty’s relationship with her rag doll provides the first
opportunity to get the children to discuss the meaning
of love. The key here is to encourage the children to discuss the
topic among themselves. The
facilitator should try to avoid “teaching” the
children, and instead encourage them to explore
their own ideas, and to
work with each other to do so.
Rather then delve into historical and predefined ideas of
love, it is suggested that the idea of love be discussed
with the children
in a day to day context. What is meant by love? Are there
different kinds
of love? Do you love your friends in the same way you love
your family?
Can you love an object, and if so, does this idea align with
the meaning of love that the children first decided upon?
It is this
very conflict
which provides an opportunity for the children to learn to
discuss, justify, and provide counterargument in conversation
with one
another. This are the types of ideas and opportunities that
a facilitator
will want to notice and encourage.
Of potential interest to the facilitator, the philosophical
classification of the nature of love spans a number of sub-disciplines
including
epistemology, metaphysics, religion, human nature, politics,
and ethics. Accordingly,
explanations of love vary and diverse categories have been
established. Some argue, even, that love is irrational and
cannot be explained.
Love was described by ancient Greek civilization through
the use of the words eros, philia, and agape. Eros refers
to that
part
of love
constituting a passionate, intense desire for something,
while philia entails a fondness and appreciation of the other.
Agape
refers to
the paternal love of God for man and of man for God but is
extended to
include a brotherly love for all humanity. Agape seeks a
perfect kind of love that is at once a fondness, a transcending
of the
particular, and a passion without the necessity of reciprocity.
One way to understand
the question of why we love is as asking what the value of
love is: what do we get out of it? One kind of answer, which
has its
roots
in
Aristotle, is that having loving relationships promotes self-knowledge
insofar as your beloved acts as a kind of mirror, reflecting
your character back to you.
At one
point in the story, Minty was shown how to collect trapped muskrats
by the overseer. The conflict that arises
when Minty lets
the muskrats go provides an opportunity to encourage the children
to discuss the idea of right and wrong. What do we mean by
wrong? How
do we decide if something is right or wrong? Where do the “rules” come
from? Do the “rules” apply to everyone? Should
there be a single set of “rules” for everyone?
The second question set will help to guide this discussion.
Historically,
the philosophical arguments regarding right and wrong highlight
some of the difficulties in adhering to any
one definition
of right, and any one definition of wrong. First, one asks
the justification of the definition of a right and a wrong.
Historical
argument naturally
proceeds, then, into a discussion of the origin of the definition
of the right or wrong to begin with and includes: a) from God,
b) from
an abstract world where concepts exist in some way, c) from
agreement between people, d) from a consideration of duty,
or virtue, and/or
e) from a consideration of the consequences of various actions.
In addition, over the course of history, the concept of right
and wrong has at times been different for different groups
of people.
For instance,
the same rules defining right and wrong did not always apply
equally to free men and slaves, or to white men and black,
or to civilised
men and those considered savages. Nor does the same rules defining
right and wrong apply, even today, to men and animals, or to
men and environments. Should there be a single system for all?
Then
again, why should there be?
That
Minty is unhappy as a slave and wants to run away
is the main theme of the story. This provides the opportunity
for the
children to discuss the meaning of
freedom.
What is the difference between
freedom
and slavery? How do laws apply to freedom – are
people under the rule of law still free?
What is freedom of speech?
Should everyone
be free?
Freedom can be thought of as the
absence of external constraints, or as
simply, the opposite of slavery. In Minty’s
case, slavery is the primary issue, but
the story highlights the affect that slavery
has on free will. Free will is taken to
be the ability to exercise
free will and make choices independently
of any external determining force. Freedom
is also sometimes thought within philosophy
to signify the mastery of one’s inner
life. Freedom, then, can be categorized
in three areas – human
rights, free will and self-mastery.
Continue
to question set for this story
