Part 4, Chapter 17

Historians are not only tasked with synthesizing historical information from primary and secondary sources, but interpreting these sources to form a coherent picture of the past. No two historians will interpret history the exact same way, but all historians have a duty to responsibly relay history and acknowledge how their interpretations (which can never be truly objective) influence the way they tell stories. To deconstruct these ideas, the authors start by examining the story behind Abina and the Important Men. This examination begins at Level 1, the simplest level of a metaphorical staircase. Abina is at the core of the story (or the bottom of the stairs), but there are many people (or steps) between the authors’ rendition of Abina’s story and Abina’s truth—these steps including various authors, illustrators, and the clerk who recorded the transcript. The authors of the novel describe their process of adding words not directly from the court transcript and artistically rendering the story to represent themes they deemed appropriate based on the historical record (but may not be completely accurate). The court transcript was recorded by an official clerk. During Abina’s case, the clerk was switched to another clerk who kept far more detailed notes than the original, and historians think one of them was Judge Melton himself.

Part 4, Chapter 17 Summary: “Whose Story Is This?”

Part 4, Chapter 18

Part 4, Chapter 18 Summary: “Is This a ‘True’ Story?”

Part 4, Chapter 19

Part 4, Chapter 19 Summary: “Is This ‘Authentic’ History?”

Part 4, Chapters 17-19

Part 4, Chapters 17-19 Analysis

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African History

Historic & Literary Period

Colonialism & Postcolonialism

Values & Ideas

Equality

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Graphic Novels & Books

School Book List Titles

Literary Area of Study

South African Literature

Trevor R. Getz

Illustr. Liz Clarke

Graphic Novel/Book

Nonfiction

Guide

Study Guide

Book Brief

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About Abina and the Important Men

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Abina and the Important Men Summary and Study Guide

Background

Abina and the Important Men Background

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “The Graphic History”

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Abina and the Important Men Part 1, Chapters 1-3 Summary & Analysis

Part 1, Chapters 4-6

Abina and the Important Men Part 1, Chapters 4-6 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “Transcript”

Part 2, Chapters 7-10

Abina and the Important Men Part 2, Chapters 7-10 Summary & Analysis

Part 3, Chapters 11-16

Abina and the Important Men Part 3, Chapters 11-16 Summary & Analysis

Part 4: “Reading Guide”

Abina and the Important Men Part 4, Chapters 17-19 Summary & Analysis

Part 5: “Engaging Abina”

Part 5, Chapters 20-28

Abina and the Important Men Part 5, Chapters 20-28 Summary & Analysis

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Abina and the Important Men Themes

Index of Terms

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Important Quotes

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Essay Topics

Abina and the Important Men Essay Topics

Abina and the Important Men: A Graphic History

Part 4, Chapters 17-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 4: “Reading Guide”

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