When the novel first starts Tituba describes the circumstances of her early birth & life. She talks about her mother having her at 16 because her mother being Abena was raped. When Abena arrived at Barbados from Africa her owner found out she was pregnant with Tituba. So, the owner gave Tituba’s mother to a slave named Yao. Yao took care of Tituba as if she was his own. I also found it interesting when Tituba talks about her mother (Abena) was distant towards her growing up because of the way she was conceived. Yao had to force Abena to comfort Tituba. ” Sit her on your lap. Kiss her ! Fondle her ! “. I found it hard to read that part because Tituba loved her mother regardless. Yao promised to love Tituba as his own and he gave Tituba enough love for the both of them. Relationships were important to Tituba. Later on Abena’s former owner tried to rape her and she ended up injuring him. Abena was hung and Yao killed himself by swallowing his tongue. This was hard because even though Abena found it hard to love Tituba she loved her mother and had to watch them hang her.

I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde is a novel told in first person by a women named Tituba. In the chapter one to four we learn alot about Tituba and her family. Tituba was born from a black slave who was raped by a white man causing Tituba’s mom to get pregnant with her. Tituba’s mom, Abena often found it hard to love Tituba, but Tituba loved her regardless. It hurt me to read the way Tituba’s mom was scared to hold her, and craddle her. Abena would then take ordered from her significant other, Yao on how to love Tituba, but it was never true. I really love Yao’s character. Yao is so humble and open minded and you do not find that kind of spirit often is such a brutal time of society. He promised Abena to love her, and love Tituba although that was not his biological child. Although the love and affection was lacked from Titubas mother, Abena, Yao gave Tituba enough love to count for the both of them. The way that I instantly fell in awe of these three characters it took a very extraordinary turn. Abena had stumbled across Darnell Davis, a man who had once owned her. When he noticed that Abena looked healthy, he tried to rape her and Abena striked him with the cutlass. Abena was then sent to be hanged. The agony of losing his true love, Yao committed suicide. Abena died, Yao died. My desire to witness if Abena could ever love Tituba regardless of how she was conceived in the world never happened. My desire to see is Yao could be the fixture to Tituba and Abena relationship never happened.

During this section of reading, one part that really catch my attention was on page 10 stating, “The dead only die if they die in our hearts . . . and if we kneel down regularly to commune with them.” This part really touched my heart because recently I’ve been away due to a surprising death in my family; my grandma. My grandma was truly my world. When my parents migrated to New York, I grew up for almost five years without my mother (my father visited many times). She was my mom also and still is. Her death breaks my heart. During her funeral, we placed many things she loved in her life in the casket so she can enter the other world happy. This entire part I quoted truly represents what we did and what I feel. It is labeled as a death, but my grandma did not die because she lives through me.

While beginning to read the Novel it already started out with Tituba describing how she was born. Her mother being raped on a ship that was on it’s way to Barbados. When arriving and being sold to Mr. Darnell he found out that Abena was pregnant and gave her to Yao. A part of the story that stood out to me was he asked Abena if the child was the masters she said no but still of a white man. He told her that don’ cry from now on the child is his. Which he is showing compassion for Abena. Another part of the reading that bothered me was the slaves was a sexual symbol for the masters. Abena was hanged for retaliating against that master and injuring his shoulder with the cutlass. The slave owners had the power to do whatever they desired with the slaves and nothing couldn’t get in their way of doing it.

reading the first few pages of tituba was very interesting to me, because compare to Mary prince it seems like the brutality towards slaves got worst. On page 24 it mentions how the slaves would get whipped and when they flesh are exposed slave master would get raw hot pepper sauce and throw it on there flesh, words can’t even explain how devastating that was towards slaves and once again slaves are proven to be strong, and brave people by over coming the brutality towards them in some cases i see them as cheating death cause any average person would break down and give up on life, but other than the brutality towards slaves i found it very fascinating how tituba would be so intrigue with yao relationship and her mother, seems like tituba seeks the love of a man from a early age ion her life. she feels as if a man can be her protector

One of the scenes that most attracts my attention is when Yoa tells Abena that he will take care of her child. “Don’t cry. for now on your child is mine. Do you understand? And just let someone try and say it isn’t!” pp.(7). This is very important to me because this scene gives me to understand that although this slave is in one of the worst situations, he is able to take responsibility for a child who is not his. And although he knows that this child is the daughter of a white man. he finds hope and love in a place where there was no happiness or hope.

The first chapter of this book already started with a vile act of rape – an act, oddly enough that seemed to be frequent enough between white masters and their slaves. Abeena, already being a victim of rape did what any woman today would’ve done in such a situation. She defended herself as he Darnell attempted to force himself upon her.

What stood out to me is the fact that I can’t remember reading about a slave physically defending themselves. The fact that she called out for the cutlass showed true strength, it also showed how seriously she was affected by being raped and never wanted to feel that way again. The strength of retaliation could’ve come from the fact that her daughter Tituba was within spectating distance or that she really couldn’t endure the embarrassment and damage of the act.

Inevitably, she was hung of course. Hung for defending herself. Her life was taken for a mere gash on the shoulder of her master. Above it all, the other slaves were summoned to the execution. Maybe to set an example. Telling them that if they ever thought they deserved “humane treatment” they too would be punished.

I was surprised when Mr. Darnell was reprimanding an overseer and Abena walked in his direction. He called to confirmed that it was her and stated “well, the husband I gave you is doing wonders for you “; and he called her over with the intention to abuse her (pp.7 4-5).

Abena was so frightened that she dropped everything she was carrying, including her cutlass. Mr. Darnell’s behavior was testament to how little regard slave owners had for humanity, dignity and respect for women and children. While Abena’s daughter was standing in her presence Mr. Darnell proceeded to remove his shirt and continued to undue his pants so he could retrieve his penis. Abena took her cutlass for her daughter and struck him twice. I like how she was determined not be abused by another man—a white. (pp. 8- 1)

It is very horrific how the story started that Abena, Tituba’s mother, was raped by an English sailor and because of this horrendous act Tituba was born. After reading these first lines I started thinking that I will find more acts of sexual abuse showing how powerless slaves are, especially female slaves , because they are forced to do horrific things and if they don’t, they get punished or killed. Darnell, Abena’s owner, was groping for his penis and Abena defended herself with a cutlass managing to wound his shoulder. Abena was executed because she defended herself. This is how powerless they are because slaves cannot do anything to defend themselves unless they want to get punished or killed. Abena did not want to get raped again because she knew how it felt that is why she defended herself. Tituba saw her mother execution repeating “They hanged my mother” a moment that she won’t be able to forget and knowing that she had no power to save her. It is very frustrating knowing how slaves were treated and that not many had the courage to fight for their life because they were probably afraid of dying. If more slaves would had have the courage to fight for their life slaves owners would be at least a bit more scared.