Nicole+M.+-+Historical+Fiction+Character

Colonial Character: Mary Johnson

My name is Mary Johnson, I’m 16 years-old, and living in the colony of Virginia. Living in the city in Norfolk is not the easiest life for a 16 year-old that has strict, proper parents and a secret boyfriend, John Tucker. He’s the 18 year-old apprentice of a local shoemaker. I work as a dressmaker for my mother. I have to admit that I am not someone who you would want your daughter to have as a role model, for several reasons. First I have a secret boyfriend, second my best-friend/soul sister is an African American slave named Hester Crow, whose dream is to be free. Third because I am pregnant with Johns’ baby; and lastly because I was disowned by my parents and by the Catholic Church once they discovered my misfortune. On top of that the people of Virginia kicked me out of Virginia because I(according to them) am corrupt. To make matters worse I go from being a middle class schoolgirl to a low class indentured servant, working and living with Hester. My parents came here from England seeking religious freedom. I am one of 5 children, and I do not have a good relationship with anyone in my family. I have my Father, Thomas Johnson, my mother Susanna. I also have 4 sisters. I am the second oldest. The eldest is Rose, who is already married. Then I have my 13-year-old sister Lydia, my 7-year-old sister Jane. Then there’s the baby of the family Rebecca who just turned 2-years-old.

Unlike the rest of her family, I have dark brown hair, and eyes the color of a milk chocolate Hershey bar. Today is the 7th of January, and I am now 5 months pregnant. I go out into the snow to get some things from the market when a letter arrives for me. I open the ivory envelope, and hold the letter in my shaking hands. //Dear Mary,// //How are you? I hope you are well. I am very upset about the way things have turned out! It is my great displeasure to tell you that John has recently been very ill. As of yesterday at 2 o’clock in the morning he has gone to be in a better place, to soar with the angles, to be at peace, to be with the lord. Mary, sweet, sweet loving Mary, he is **dead**. John my son, your love is dead. His last words were “tell Mary I love her, that I’m so sorry, and tell her that are baby will the fairest and strongest in all the land.” I am so sorry my darling Mary.// //Sincerely,// //Janis Tucker//

All of a sudden I heard a high-pitched scream, it was only after a moment when I realized the scream was my own. Hester came running out of our master’s house as I fell to the ground screeching grabbing my balloon shaped stomach. “Mary, oh, Mary,” Hester shouted racing towards her. “Mary, love, what is it?” “Mary stop, stop!” “He’s DEAD!” “Who’s dead Mary, who, who Mary who,” Hester demanded! “John,” I wailed. “Look, look, read the letter!” “ Alright I will, but, Mary why are you grabbing your side in that manner?” “It feels like I’m being ripped apart!” I cried out. “He’s died,” I whispered.

Revolution
**Source:** Hart, Diane. //History alive!: the United States through industrialism//. Palo Alto, Calif.: Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2011. Print. Topic: The Tide Begins to Turn: A Turing Point and Winter at Valley Forge -The French and Spanish come into the war as allies of the Americans and sent in their troops to fight against the British - The French sent food, troops, weapons, money, and warships to the Americans **[Hart 94]** - It is very cold - valley forge - On thanksgiving every man got a gill (a few ounces) of rice and a table spoon of vinegar **[Hart 94]** - The bitter cold, anticipating the fight, not knowing if you’ll live another day - The Battle of Monmouth **[Hart 95]** - Sir Henry Clinton is the replaced General Howe as a commander of the British forces of America - Clinton ordered his army to retreat to New York City, were the royal navy is supplied - June 28, 1778, Washington caught up with the retreating British near Monmouth, New Jersey - The British escaped, slipping a cross the Hudson river to New York City’s safety - Washington stationed his men near by ** Source[ **** Discipline. "JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie." //JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie//. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. . ] ** **  - creditors- people who lent money  ** - debtors- people who the money was lent to, and who now owe money to their debtors - crisis- debtors pay back creditors with paper money that is worth less than the creditors lent out **-** The creditors weren't paid pack as much as they lent out, and are now losing money

Story Plot-Revolutions Affect

 * Exposition:**
 * late 1777
 * june 28, 1778
 * 1779


 * Rising Action:**

· Peter –Mary’s beloved cousin, the only family member who still likes her after she was disowned, who is also the only family member who still has faith in Mary- writes Mary every day from wherever he is stationed and she writes back

· Peter is in the war (not doing so well) · The French and Spanish come into the war as allies of the Americans and sent in their troops to fight against the British  o The French sent food, troops, weapons, money, and warships to the Americans [Hart 94] · Peter describes the bitter cold · He writes to her about winter at valley forge  o On thanksgiving every man got a gill (a few ounces) of rice and a table spoon of vinegar [Hart 94]  o He tells her what its like in the army
 * Climax:**

 § The bitter cold, anticipating the fight, not knowing if you’ll live another day · Peter writes about the Battle of Monmouth [Hart 95]  o Sir Henry Clinton is the replaced General Howe as a commander of the British forces of America  o Clinton ordered his army to retreat to New York City, were the royal navy is supplied  o June 28, 1778, Washington caught up with the retreating British near Monmouth, New Jersey  § The British escaped, slipping a cross the Hudson river to New York City’s safety  · Washington stationed his men near by

· Mary (overview)  o 9 months pregnant  o After being disowned she and Hester (Mary’s best friend) run to Boston where Hester goes on working as a slave, and Mary working along side her as a indentured servant for their master, extremely rich elderly woman(who is also a widow) named Mrs. Elizabeth Higgins
 * Falling Action:**
 * Expected to give birth any day now


 * Denouement:**
 * · Mary's Worries **

· Her boss- Mrs. Higgins- because she is a creditor (meaning that she loaned money to individuals) and those individuals or the debtors paid her back in paper money that was worth less than the money she had loaned them **** <span style="line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -0.25in;"> o Mrs. Higgins is losing a lot of money and Mary is not sure if she will be able to keep her and Hester <span style="line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -0.25in;"> o Mary is going to have the baby soon and if Mrs. Higgins can’t keep her she wont get the same medical care that she would if Mrs. Higgins kept her <span style="line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -0.25in;"> o Peter’s letters(she worries he might be killed because he is so excited and not thinking strait)

Part 1- Exposition and Rising Action
It’s November of 1777, and I am in the middle of reading the letter my cousin, Peter, sent me. Hello, my name is Mary Johnson; Peter is my only family member who still likes me. He’s the only one who hasn’t abandoned me every since I was disowned about six months ago. Peter writes to me almost everyday from where ever he is stationed, and I always write back! The letter he wrote me today says: //My Dearest Mary,// //How are you? Have you given birth yet? I hope you are well and happy! I will not bore you with how I fare, but I will tell you that war is an unhappy, nasty thing. Blood shed everywhere, freezing cold; not much food it is absolutely horrid! I only ask you to pray for my safety me dear cousin. I can’t wait to hear from you!// //Sincerely,// //Peter Johnson// I wrote him back about a week later saying how I missed him, prayed for him everyday, that I am well and still pregnant, I tell him that I worry about him, and most of all I tell him how much it means to me that he writes to me.

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Part 2- Climax
// Dear Mary, // // I write to you on this late November night, 1777. It is my great displeasure to tell you that I am at my worst! Though, the war does seem to be going better for us. The French and Spanish came into the war as our allies and have sent in their troops to fight against the British. The French sent us food, troops, weapons, money, and warships. Mary I do not think I could describe to you the bitter cold! Every night you feel lucky if you still have your fingers and toes by morning. On thanksgiving day I was station at Valley Forge, as our thanksgiving feast every man got a gill of rive and a tablespoon of vinegar. War, my dear Mary, is a terrible thing! // // Sincerely, // // Peter Johnson //

// My Dearest Mary, // // It is now June 28, 1778. I do not know how fast this letter will arrive to you, but I just wanted you to know that I am well, and have the most amazing story to tell you! // // I fought at the Battle of Monmouth. But, were to begin? The cold, anticipating the fight, not knowing if you’ll live another day? Perhaps, I should start with what you don’t know. Sir Henry Clinton has replaced General Howe as a commander of the British forces of America. Clinton ordered his army to retreat to New York City, were the royal navy is supplied. Washington- the brilliant man that he is- caught up with the retreating British near Monmouth, New Jersey. The British escaped, slipping a cross the Hudson river to New York City’s safety, while Washington stationed his men near by waiting to attack. The reason this is so great is because it demonstrates the integrity that only great men like Washington have. I hope you are well my cousin; I miss you dearly. May god bless your soul. // // Sincerely, // // Peter Johnson // === //

Part 3- Falling Action & Denouement // ===

// Dear Peter, // <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">// I’m frightened not only for you, but because the time is coming, I can feel it; I’m going to have the baby soon. I hope it is a son, if so I will call him John Tucker, after his father. Maybe then, the sorrow of John’s death will be replaced with the happiness of our son’s birth. The doctor says he doesn’t know if I will live, or if the baby will live! I hope we both survive! In addition to all my troubles, I must inform you that after being disowned, Hester- my dearest friend- and I go to Boston. There, Hester has gone to work as a slave, and I work along side her as an indentured servant for. Our master is, an extremely rich, elderly woman (she’s a widow) named Ms. Elizabeth Higgins. We are well here living with her, and though she puts us to hard work, she is very kind to both of us, and has agreed to help me with the baby. // <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"> <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> // With All my Love,  // <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">// Mary Johnson  // <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">// My Dear Peter,   // // I worry now more that ever. Ms. Higgins is a creditor; which means that she loaned money to individuals, and those ////  individuals, or the “debtors” paid her back in paper money that was worth less than the money she had loaned them. Ms. Higgins is losing a lot of money. I am not sure if she will be able to keep Hester and I! I just had the baby; thank god we’re both all right. It’s a beautiful baby boy who I have named John Tucker, and I swear to you Peter, my John is looking down from heaven, and he is proud! Just so you are aware, I have changed my name to Tucker, and so I am now Mary Johnson Tucker. What do I do if Ms. Higgins can’t keep me, my baby and I won’t get the same medical care that I would if Mrs. Higgins kept her, I most likely wont get medical care at all. And then, you, what happens if you were to get killed? My life would be over! You must help me Peter! What am I going to do? // //  Love,  // // Mary Johnson Tucker  //