The Book of Night Women

Nicole Gilmer

            In Marlon James’ “The Book of Night Women,” there is a scene in which the narrator is describing Christmas on Montpelier Estate. She describes the preacher that comes and tells the slaves “that the Bible say them to stand firm in they suffering ‘cause that is they lot for being the cursed son of Noah” (149). I found this interesting because of the reference to Canaan. In Genesis, there is a story about Noah becoming drunk and his son, Ham, seeing him passed out and naked. When Noah wakes up, he curses Canaan and says that he will be as a slave to his brothers and will be the lowest of the low. Canaan was Ham’s son, and did not actually see Noah in his drunken/naked state. So it is interesting that Noah would choose to curse Canaan instead of Ham. But that’s part of why I find it so significant in the novel. The child is paying for the “crime” which their parent committed.

            Lilith specifically is a victim of circumstance. Because her mother was a slave, she too is “cursed” and relegated to slavery; even though her father was white. Further, there is a school of thought which states that, in the bible, Noah cursed Canaan instead of Ham because it is harder for the father to watch his son suffer than for the father to suffer directly. This also mimics Lilith’s experience at Montpelier. Her father committed the crime of having a child with a slave and because of his actions, his child suffered far more directly than he himself. This may be why the slaves are told to “stand firm” in their suffering. Perhaps the suffering of the slaves is God’s punishment for their fore bearers and not for them.