March 29th, 2016
Prof. Young
English 1101
Questions
1. What is the meaning of the good lord bird? What does it represent? How does it connect to the title of the book?
The meaning of "The Good Lord Bird" is that when an individual sees a beautiful looking bird, they say "Good Lord". Also that a feather from this bird will bring you understanding that will last your whole life. I think it connects to the title of the book because I feel that towards the end of the story, Henry will finally realize that being himself will be the most beneficial for him. I also believe that Henry will see or do something that will change his life for the good of his future.
2. What is Henry’s nickname? How did he earn it?
Henry's nickname is "Onion" and he earned this when John Brown gave him his "luck charm" which ended up being a dusty onion from his back pocket. Henry thought he was giving him food so he hesitantly ate it which leaded to Brown being surprised that he ate his luck charm. From then on, Brown decided to call him Onion because of this situation.
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3. What was Henry’s rationale for continuing to live a lie? Was it justifiable?Henry continued to live his life as a lie because simply, he was very scared of the situation happening around him. To my interpretation, Henry was living a somewhat decent life as a slave until this crazy, rebellious man named John Brown escorted him out of his old life. Henry was also very young so he didn't really know what to exactly do when Brown confronted him. Also, living your slave life as a girl in this time period resulted in less "manly treatment" which could lead to a better overall life for Henry. With all of these facts considered, I think it is justifiable that Henry lied about his gender. He was forced into this life by Brown and pretending to be a girl might actually save his young life in the end.
