Wolf by the Ears

Harriet Hemings loves her life at Monticello, where the former president Thomas Jefferson is head of the plantation. Although Harriet calls Jefferson "Master," she's never felt the reality of her enslavement, and rumor has it that she and her siblings are the master's mulatto children. Now the impending choice of whether or not to leave her home forever to live life as a free woman is breaking Harriet's heart in Wolf by the Ears by author Ann Rinaldi.

I was thirteen or so the first time I read this YA novel. It was quite the experience for me, getting me to chew on layered concepts that were still new to me at the time, such as the practice of some light-skinned people of color passing for white.

I'll admit my youth and the newness of it show more all for me back then had me more entranced (so to speak) than I was this time. While I still think it's a fairly rich work of historical fiction, I now recognize that I don't have much reason to like the heroine. She can be pretty childish and melodramatic, with tears coming to her eyes so frequently that it becomes tiring.

While the story sometimes feels like a drawn-out walk to the inevitable, with characters repeating the same sentiments over again, the ironies make the read worth it. The pain comes across well, but the tough, complex ironies of it all are where the story still gets me.

And it ultimately gives me hope. Indeed, the ironic "wolf" situation seemed so impossible to people back then. But time has shown us we didn't need that unjust wolf after all.

Can't let today's wolves stop us from envisioning a better future and fighting for it in whatever ways we can. show less

Written before the conclusive DNA testing that proved Thomas Jefferson did have children with his slave Sally Hemings, Rinaldi's book explores the struggle of Sally's daughter Harriet to understand who she is. She is a light-skinned slave. There are rumors that the master is her father. Her freedom is guaranteed at age 21, but does she dare to take it? Her options are to stay on the plantation where she surely will be married to another slave, to leave the plantation as a free nigra, or to leave the plantation and pass as white.

If you're interested in the controversy over Jefferson and Sally Hemings, this is a riveting read.

I have always loved historical fiction and Ann Rinaldi writes great YA level books in this genre. I find that she writes books that pretty accurate factually and that also have great characters who I am interested in learning how they live in the time period they exist in.

Molly Humphrey
EDCI 4120/5120

Rinaldi, A. (1991). Wolf by the ears. New York: Scholastic.

Grade Levels: 9-12
Category: Historical Fiction
Read Alouds: 11-27 (April 1820); 37-46 (April 1820); 139-146 (Early July 1820); 232-248 (The Middle of August 1822)

Summary: Harriet Hemings loves her home at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. She is the daughter of Sally Hemings and supposedly the daughter of her master Thomas Jefferson (something we now know to be true). Harriet’s mother had secured her children’s freedom from Jefferson, but Harriet is reluctant to accept her freedom partially because she loves Jefferson and partially because she does not consider herself a slave, but a servant to Master Jefferson. The prospect of freedom also show more daunts her. But, when Jefferson’s grandson-in-law tries to rape her, Harriet realizes that her future at Monticello is not as secure as her childhood has been and she struggles to take steps to secure her freedom by learning how to pass into the white world.

Themes: The central theme of this novel is identity. Harriet struggles with both the notion that Thomas Jefferson is her father, as well as the idea of turning her back of the black community she grew up with to take her freedom as a white woman. Race, of course, also plays an important role in the novel. Race affects the characters relationships to one another, specifically Harriet and her siblings’ relationship to Thomas Jefferson.

Discussion Questions:
Why is Harriet’s brother Beverly upset that Harriet wants to pass as white and why does Harriet struggle with this idea herself?
What is involved for Harriet to pass as white?
Why doesn’t Harriet like the idea of freedom at the beginning of the novel?

Reader Response: Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres of literature and this novel did an excellent job of introducing the complexities of race and slavery in America, as well as the complexities of slave owner and slave relations. I learned a great deal about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings from this novel and it makes me want to learn more, which is one of the reasons historical fiction is so great. The one drawback I see students having from reading historical fiction is taking it at face value; it’s easy to think the novels are true, mostly because the novels are so fascinating that I, for one, just want it to be true. show less

Harriet Hemmings, the daughter of Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemmings, longs to be told the truth of her heritage. At the age of 21 she is given her freedom but must make the difficult choice of leaving her past behind as she passes as a white woman. Story for older young adults in exploring topics of slavery, freedom, and alienation. Cross curricula book that can be used in history, English, ethics and government classes. A bibliography is included for further research. A bit slow moving at timesHa

A window of the other side of things. I chose this because Monticello is a favorite place of mine. Anything written about a place I've been ups it for me. I have walked those lawns and thought of the others who have done the same throughout time. Beautiful.

I read this a long time ago, and honestly all I can remember is that I cried like a baby when I finished it.