The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party

Title: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party
Author: M.T. Anderson
ISBN: 0763624020

Plot Summary: Octavian, a young African-American, grows up in a Colonial-era community of scientists and philosophers. Both he and his mother are subject to degrading pseudo-scientific experiments in the name of learning more about their racial characteristics, and how they differ from those of white people. As a child, Octavian accepts his way of life, as he and his mother live in relative comfort: however, after he befriends Bono, a black servant, and starts to question why things in their community work as they do, he realizes the extent to which he and his mother are being exploited. This, combined with the financial hardships and change in leadership the community experiences as a result of the American Revolution, finally convinces Octavian to run away.


Critical Evaluation: M.T. Anderson tells Octavian's story from a variety of perspectives: Octavian's own, those of his well-meaning but misguided masters, newspaper clippings, and even letters home from a Revolutionary soldier. Throughout, he does so in period-appropriate language and dialogue, but presents a modern perspective on events and actions which, although they may have made sense at the time, come across as grotesque to the modern eye. Even the titular "pox party," at which all the partygoers are immunized against smallpox, comes across as alternately morbid, grotesquely amusing, and tragic. Though fictional, this book has the ring of historical truth to it, and provides a fascinating perspective on the circumstances, racial and otherwise, surrounding the Revolution.
Reader's Annotation: For a young African-American man in Colonial America, Octavian leads a relatively comfortable life. However, the more he comes to examine his life, the more he realizes the extent to which he is truly enslaved.

About the Author: Matthew Tobin Anderson was born in Stow, Massachusetts in 1968 and attended Harvard, Syracuse, and the University of Cambridge. Anderson taught at Vermont College and worked at Candlewick Press prior to the publication of his first novel, Thirsty. He currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has written a number of picture books for young readers in addition to his Young Adult titles.

Genre: Fiction, Historical

Curriculum Ties: American History

Booktalking Ideas:

Hook: Octavian's mother is an African princess, but is she really treated like one?
Approach: Character-based.
Ideas for Booktalk: Stories she tells Octavian - are they true? Do they need to be? Whether they are true or not, explore why she tells them to him, what benefit they serve to either her or him. Octavian is fascinated by a naked portrait of his mother with symbols drawn all over her body, but comes to see this in a different light after he sees she too is but the subject of experiments. She is propositioned by a white man, but refuses him when he refuses to entertain the notion of marrying her, thereby making her a "real" princess. Discussion of the options available to African-American women at the time, and the choices (or lack thereof) they had. Possible mention of Sally Hemings.

Reading Level/Interest Age: Grades 9+

Challenge Issues: Sexual content, violence, unsuited to age group, scatological themes, racism. The language of this book is sometimes difficult to parse even for adult readers, but the potential challenge it poses to a teen reader could be overcome, provided they get the gist of the story. The 18th century obsession with bodily functions is in full evidence in this book: the Collegians collect and weigh Octavian's stool; Octavian's mother tells a would-be suitor to eat shit (in so many words); the goings-on at the pox party are related in graphic, almost medical detail. However, often as not this serves as evidence of the dehumanization and exploitation the slaves suffered at the Collegians' hands, such that even their most private functions were not their own. When the characters rebel, they are subject to violence, and the sexual exploitation of Octavian's mother is frequently implied. I would use the same argument to counter these challenges as I would for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: namely, that the way these characters are treated, although revolting to modern readers, is indicative of the racial mores of the era, and should be examined unflinchingly if we are ever to truly deal with racial and sexual issues in this country.

Why I Chose This Book: This book challenged me in many ways: the way its characters, supposedly enlightened patriots, behaved towards black people; the way the main character forgave his captors even as he rebelled against their actions; even its use of language, which I sometimes found daunting despite my love of pre-1800 literature. Although many YA books choose challenging subjects, this one challenges on multiple levels, and would be as rewarding for an older reader as for a younger one.