The Known World

Trace the relationship between Henry Townsend and William Robbins from the beginning, when Henry is nine years old, to Henry’s death at 31. How does William become more of a father figure to Henry than Augustus ever had the chance to be?

Both Henry and Moses have endured painful separation. Henry was taken from his mother’s arms at age nine and Moses was separated from his beloved Bessie when William purchased him. They seek to gain more power and control over their lives. How do their similar desires for power result in very different destinies?

The Known World highlights the little-known history of African American slaveowners and their African American slaves. One can critique the novel to say it shows that African Americans were just like their white counterparts in their eagerness to exploit slave labor. Is this a fair critique? Do the African American slaveowners treat their slaves differently than the white slaveowners described in this novel?