English Literature

A Soldier for the Crown –by Charles Johnson

A SOLDIER FOR THE CROWN:
 A Soldier for the Crown: a young girl took risks and disguised as a boy to run away
from slavery by joining the British army along with her brother and cousin.

 Charles Johnson: contemporary American author who is concerned with issues of

slavery and racism.

 Genre: short story.

 Short Story: a brief fictional narrative prose that is shorter than a novel and has events
and characters.

 Elements of short story:

1. Has a short plot line and limited number of characters.
2. Is told form a particular POV that impacts the readers’ understanding of events.
3. Expresses one or more themes.

 Point of View: refers to the perspective an authors use to narrate a story.

 Types of POV:
1. First-Person POV:
a. Narrator is a character in the story and shares own thought and feelings.
b. Pronouns: I, me and my.

2. Second-Person POV:
a. Narrator addresses one or more individuals using the pronoun YOU.
b. Purpose of using: suspense, engage the readers, increases tension, creates
ambiguity, addresses a new theme, and creates a plot twist.

3. Third-Person POV:
a. Narrator is not a character but an outside observer.
b. Commonly used in stories.
c. Pronouns: he, she, they, it, etc.
i. Omniscient: narrator knows the thoughts, feelings and actions of
all characters in the story (omn= all/scient= know).
ii. Limited: narrator know ONLY the thoughts, feeling and actions of
one character.
iii. Objective: narrator can only report what is seen or heard; no
thought or feelings of characters.

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 Why is it important to know the POV of the author?
1. Can be biased, from the person’s perceptive (1st).
2. Identify feelings of characters and conflict (2nd).
3. If it is limited (events are related to one main character) or omniscient (3rd).

 Plot: sequence of events that make up a story.

o Events don’t go straight forwards, rather through changes.

 Suspense: the excitement, anxiety or tension that readers feel as they wait to find out
how a story ends.
o Mediares, foreshadowing and ambiguity creates suspense.

 Ambiguity: the uncertainty created when an author leaves elements of the text open to
reader’s interpretation.
o Ex: first sentence and using the second POV (you) creates ambiguity since the
identity of the character is unrecognized.

 How is ambiguity created?

4. Foreshadowing.
5. The action is incomplete.
6. Open to different interpretations (gamble)
7. The readers cannot find the answers of their questions in the text.

 Archaic vocabulary used in the text:

1. Capacity (n): ability, amount of space.
2. Belatedly (adv.): late.
3. Unalienable (adj.): natural, cannot be taken away, granted.
4. Elusive (adj.): difficult to obtain or gain

 What risks did the character make?

Running away from slavery as a young female and disguising as a male.

 Theme: taking risks, two social issues were addressed: (slavery/gender inequality).
o Women weren’t allowed to participate in the war especially a runaway female slave.
o Obstacles that Alex is young, the only female in the camp, and she was left all
alone after her brother and cousin’s death.

 Inference author made and mentioned that help readers identify that the main
character You is a female:
1. Only one who is allowed to enter the kitchen.
2. Cannot ride a horse.
3. Cannot hold a gun.
4. Physically weak.
5. Shaved her hair.

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 Change the first two paragraphs from the second POV to the third?
She always was a gambler.
Before the war broke out, when she was still a servant in Master William Selby’s house,
she’d bet on anything—how early spring that might come, or if her older brother Titus
would beat her cousin Caesar in a wrestling match—and most of the time she won. There
was something about gambling that she could not resist. There was suspense, the feeling
that the future was not already written by white hands. Or finished. There was chance, the
luck of the draw. In the roll of dice or a card game, there was always—what to call it? —
an openness, a chance that the outcome would go this way or that. For or against her. Of
course, in bondage to Master Selby there were no odds. Whichever wat the dice fell or the
cards came up, she began and ended her day a slave.
But did she win this time?

Subject Object Adjective Possessive Reflexive Pro.

(+N.) Adj.

You You Your Yours Yourself

She Her Her Hers Herself

I Me My Mine Myself

He Him His His Himself

It
It Its Its Itself

They Them Their Their Themselves

We Us Our Ours Ourselves

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 P Quotation from the Text Analysis
Num.

Suspense: what kind of gambling? Is it

symbolic, literal or figurative meaning?
1
why did he stop “always were”?

“You always were a gambler.”

“How early spring would come, if

Titus would beat Caesar, what to Digression: short temporary departure
2 from the main subject.
call? openness”

Fragments: incomplete sentences.

Purpose:
“Or finished.” 1. Creates ambiguity by not completing and
2 “For or against you.” mentioning the meaning (suspense).
2. Gives a hint that the character is not
educated.
3. Makes the text easier to understand
since it copies the slang language.

“You were, you began, you’d bet, Second-person POV: creates suspense
your, you could.” from its ambiguity behinds it as it engages
2
and involves the readers in reading.

Suspense: makes the reader question:

“Gambling you could not resist. What war broke out? What white hands?
2 Future wasn’t written by white What is that thing about gambling that
hands. The war broke out.” You cannot resist? What risks You took?

“Master Selby, your older brother Names encountered: Titus and You are
2 Titus and your cousin Caesar.” brother while Caesar is their cousin and
Mr. William Selby is their owner.

Suspense
3 “But Did you win this time?”
4
 “A loyalist? A traitor? Running
4 away form bondage. What to call Fragments
yourself?

Settings: on a ship departing NY, heading

to Nova Scotia (a providence in Canada)
4
“Standing on a ship bound for going to Britain after the C-Army defeated
Nova Scotia” the British.

Time: end of Revolutionary War.

(Current moment)

Tone: ominous and uncertain

“Taking on new identities. You Internal conflict: You was left alone on
wonder what to call yourself the ship with strangers and You doesn’t
4 now? Loyalist? Traitor? A man know his identity. You ran from slavery is
without a country?” You a loyalist or a traitor?

4 EG: feeling of outcast, left out, nervous.

“Crammed with strangers”

4 Ambiguity and Suspense

“Which of these names fits, or
what the future upholds?”

“You were fighting for no one but

yourself.” Ambiguity
5

All of paragraph six Flashback: character remembers how he

6 escaped.

“Clinton promised liberty to all Purpose of joining the war: freedom.

blacks willing to fight on the Character served for one year on the
6
British side.” British side to gain freedom.

“You learned that Titus and EG: slavery wasn’t a choice and escaping
Caesar were planning to flee.” had risk in it because the penalty would be
5
 6 murder or wept til death.

EG: character overheard Titus and

“You’re leaving?” Caesar’s plan to escape and flee.
6

“Titus stopped you and asked if Plan: sneak out at night stealing two
you sneak some provisions for us, horses to ride them to British lines, wanted
6 they planned to steal two horses.” You to take provisions from kitchen and
give them and they will leave You alone.

“How can I? if you don’t take me,

I’ll tell.” Dialogue (Techniques)
7-12

Suspense: will they make it? Will they be

able to escape slavery and gain freedom
All of paragraph thirteen later on?
13

All of the paragraphs Tone: tense.

6-13

EG: will they make it? Will they be able to

escape slavery and gain freedom later on?
“You did as he requested.”
13

“Titus looked as if he might hit you,
he agreed to bring you along, his
declaration to keep you from harm.”
13
EG: Titus promised after his parents’
death that he will keep You from harm but
he unwillingly risked You’s and his life
and took him.

Limited story: narrator mentions ONLY

13 “How thrilling, how sweet the thoughts, feelings and action of one
renaming felt” character. Here he describes You’s
feelings after escaping.

New names:
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 Alexander Freeman (You).
13 “Titus call himself John Free and George Liberty (Caesar).
Caesar liked than and said he will be John Free (Titus).
George Liberty and you wanted time
to think and finally said Alex Purpose: motivated for freedom that they
Freeman as your new identity.” want names from which they will be
driven by their goal.

“Cesar suggested if you all

13 changed you names and
Disguise: Caesar suggested all to change
appearance so Selby doesn’t post
appearance and names. Titus said he will
descriptions about them.”
grow a beard and You shaved his hair off.

“He remarked he thought you EG: arrival in the British camp and
14 didn’t look very strong.” signing for joining. The soldier remarked
You that he wasn’t very strong.

“The three of you were put EG: different chores soldiers had in the
14 immediately to work. Harder army depending on their physical
work than in Selby’s house.” appearance.

“Served Majesty's army in more

15 capacities than fingers on your EG: they served in different positions
own hand.” (cooks, laborers, orderlies, spies,
caretakers, foot soldiers).

“Smallpox weakening and killing Flashback (Shift in Time): Titus died bc

15 hundreds, your brother among of smallpox
them.”

15 “It was then you nearly gave up Suspense: will he give up or not?
the gamble.”

“You wondered if.” EG: Alex is thoughtful, rational, realistic,

15 observant and reconsidering the future.

Condition: if is used for a possibility,

options and conditions.
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 15 “You wondered if, go back home
to the farm, you and Caesar switch
sides, the Declaration by Jefferson
proclaiming all men are equal.”
15 All of paragraph fifteen.
15 All of paragraph fifteen.
Dialogues btw Caesar and Alex.
16-18
“White folks’ words for other
16 white folks”
“Alex, those are just white folks’
16 words for other white folks”
18
“Naw, til, stayin.”
“I don’t trust neither side, I want
18 to see the British pass with my
name on it.”
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Options:
1. Go back to Mr. Selby’s house
2. Switch sides and join the C-army
3. Stay in America as a free slaves based
on the Dec. of Indep. that all men are
born equal.
Ambiguity: The future is unknown for You.
Character is alone, vulnerable and young.
EG: You chose none of the options You
came out with since the settings are that
You is on the ship and this is only a
flashback.
Technique: dialogue.
Purpose: reveal and identify the
character’s personality, adds credibility,
identify character’s relationships.
EG: Dec of Indep. was biased bc it didn’t
apply to all people living in America, it
excluded women, A.A and N.A
EG: Caesar is older than You so he
actually knowns that the document is for
white people and not for blacks.
Language: imitating language and slang
of A.A.
Decision: all of the decisions are risky and
can lead to You’s death, so he decided to
stay with the British because all what
 matters to You is to gain the pass and see
his name on it (freedom).

“You found pieces of your cousin

everywhere, and you ran, ran.,
19
you saw hundreds scarify their
lives, you were shot on your right Tone:
shoulder and it was hard to sleep Painful, sorrowful, sad and melancholic.
with ache and weather.”
Settings during flashbacks:
During the Revolutionary War.

Appositive phrase
19 “Elusive long-coveted British pass.”

Description of getting the British pass:

19 “Miraculously, as the war began to as miracle that is hard to obtain freedom.
wind down, you were given the
elusive, long-coveted British pass.”

Tone: sophisticated, formal, archaic.

Confequence Consequence
20 Official document granting
Whomfoever Whosoever
freedom to Alex
Permiffion Permission
Reforted Resorted
Britifh British
Elfe Else
Faid Said

Author’s description of getting freedom

“Paper that was so difficult to as a slave:
19-20 earn, elusive long-coveted,
tracing the words with your finger Valuable, precious and a dream that is
shaping your lips silently to every nearly impossible.
syllable you read.”

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 EG: document certifies that Alex, a
“The doc. dated April 1783 brings Negro, is a free person and therefore is
a broad smile to your lips, you free to go wherever he wishes to go.
21
will frame this peace of
manumission. Manumission: an official doc that grants
freedom of a slave.

EG: answers the question that is firstly

21 “Your gamble paid off” asked at the beginning of the story.

Plot Twist: You is a female.

21 Definition: unexpected event that changes
the direction or expected outcome of a story.
“You now prefer the adopted
Purpose: grab attention and recall all
name Alexander Freeman to the
previous flashbacks.
one given you at birth—Dorothy”

22 Tone: overjoy, relief, and happiness

All of paragraph twenty-two.

EG: back to present.

20-22 All of the three paragraphs. (1-5): present.
(6-19): flashbacks
(20-22): present

22 Theme: taking risks, slavery and gender

All of paragraph twenty-two. inequality.

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