Who was Delie in Nightjohn
Rachel Hickman
Published Apr 18, 2026
Old Delie. Known as “Mammy” to the younger slaves, this character acts as a mother to all the infants born on the plantation.
Who is Delie?
Lorraine Toussaint as Delie – acts like a mother to Sarny and is initially against learning how to read.
How much money did Clel Waller pay when he bought NightJohn?
How much money did Clel Waller pay when he bought Nightjohn? What does this tell you about NightJohn? He payed $1000 dollars for NightJohn. That shows NightJohn is a talented slave.
Who is the narrator for Nightjohn?
Sarny is the narrator of the story. She is twelve at the time Nightjohn is bought by Waller; she knows this by the notches on a stick Mammy keeps for all the children.Is NightJohn a true story?
First editionAuthorGary PaulsenGenreHistorical novelPublisherDelacorte PressPublication date1993
How old is Nightjohn in Nightjohn?
Among the most powerful of Paulsen’s works ( Hatchet ; The Winter Room ; Dogsong ), this impeccably researched novel sheds light on cruel truths in American history as it traces the experiences of a 12-year-old slave girl in the 1850s.
How does Sarny find out Nightjohn is coming?
Sarny first sees Nightjohn when he is brought to the plantation with a rope around his neck, his body covered with scars from many beatings. Sarny is drawn to Nightjohn when she learns that he had escaped North to freedom, only to voluntarily return to the South.
What happened at the end of NightJohn?
Thinking she will never see John again, Sarny is surprised when he returns for her one night a few months later. He takes her to a secret camp where he is teaching slaves to read. The story ends with the knowledge that Nightjohn has returned. He will bring hope to the slaves.What grade level is Nightjohn?
ATOS Book Level:3.8Interest Level:Middle Grades (MG 4-8)AR Points:1.0Rating:Word Count:10801
Is NightJohn appropriate for middle school?“Nightjohn should be required reading (and discussing) for all middle grade and high school students.” “Among the most powerful of Paulsen’s works, this impeccable researched novel sheds light on cruel truths in American history as it traces the experiences of a 12-year-old slave girl in the 1850s.”
Article first time published onWhat did NightJohn do the first night on the plantation?
What did NightJohn do the first night on the plantation? What does this tell you about him? NightJohn on the first night was starting to teach Sarny on how some of English works. This tell you that he is not Unintelligent.
Why does Waller care how old the children especially the girls are?
Q. Why does Waller care how old the children, especially the girls are? He wants to know when they will be ready to breed. He wants to know when they will be ready for field work.
Is this story told in the first person or the third person nightjohn?
The point-of-view of the novel is first person, limited omniscience narration, told from Sarny’s perspective.
How does the master of the house know that nightjohn is rebellious before he even buys him?
_____1. How does the master of the house know that Nightjohn is rebellious before he even buys him? … Nightjohn’s slave papers reveal it.
Where does Sarny take place?
In this somewhat contrived sequel to Nightjohn, set in post-Civil War New Orleans, 94-year-old Sarny reflects on her first few years as an emancipated slave.
What does nightjohn trade for the tobacco?
“Nightjohn wants to trade letters for tobacco.” “He wants some of the narrator’s (Sarny’s) tobacco, but he doesn’t have anything to give her back. He offers to teach her some letters as trade for the tobacco.”
How old is nightjohn in the book?
And twelve-year-old Sarny is willing to take the risk to learn. Set in the 1850s, Gary Paulsen’s groundbreaking new novel is unlike anything else the award-winning author has written.
Why did nightjohn think it was important for slaves to learn how do you read and write?
Why did Nightjohn think it was important for slaves to learn how to read and write? … So the slaves can write down what the owners are doing to them, so that later people will know the truth. So that they can write letters for the slaves as another job on the plantation/farm.
How was nightjohn brought in bad?
The new slave, Nightjohn, is “brought…in bad.” He is naked, and his body, which is “all over scars from old whippings,” is drenched with sweat and covered with biting flies. Waller has put a shackle with a rope on the new slave’s neck and is making him run in front of his horse as he rides, “yelling and swearing…
Why did sarny's birthing mom get sold?
Sarny’s real birth mother. She was also a slave, but was sold to another man since she was a good breeder. … She was a slave girl who was forced to be a breeder. She ran away one night and was caught.