"Trial Day" for Mojo Conjure Stories

1. Summary:  The story starts out with Lettita trying to convince her Father to go to brother's trial. She must battle her step mother Bernadette as well as sacrafice her cat  in order to perform voodoo to persuade her father

2. Setting: South, late 1920’s

   POV: third person omincient

   Protagonist: Letitia Reeves

   Antagonist: Daddy

   Others: Brother, Bernadette, Mama

3. Conjure Woman: Mamma, Lettitia, Bernadette

4.Main Conflict: Person vs Person

5. Reason For Conflict: Lettitia is trying to convince Daddy to go to Brother’s trial.

6. Flashbacks: None

7. Plot Order: Shifting

8. Theme: Sacrafice

                         AA Motifs in “Trial Day”

Family, Home, Community Traditions: entire story

Conjure Woman: pg 107 talking about Mama, Bernadette, Lettitia

Intimidation, Terrorism, or Acts of Violence:

·      pg 111 Daddy being intimidated by White people

·      pg 112 Daddy talks about the Klan

Mojo Conjure Stories

Mojo Conjure Stories by Nalo Hopkinson contains a collection of stories stemming from African folk tales. The book gives clear insight into elements African culture such as conjure women, voodoo rituals, and racism. I personally have enjoyed the book immensely because of the intriguing stories that keep the reader yearning for more. Particularly I have enjoyed the voodoo and magic element of each story that make readers believe in magic. While reading I felt as if I have been transported into a different time period experiencing and understanding what it meant to be African in the 1900’s.