The title of the novel, this word refers to the open-air stockades in which captured Africans were kept before being sold into slavery and embarking on the Middle Passage. Cudjo spends three weeks in the barracoons in Dahomey before Captain Foster purchases him.
Get the entire Barracoon LitChart as a printable PDF.
Barracoon Term Timeline in Barracoon
The timeline below shows where the term Barracoon appears in Barracoon. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Introduction
After this ceremonial visit, Foster goes to the barracoons, which are overflowing with captives awaiting sale. Historically, European powers have tried to incite different...
(full context)
When Captain Foster arrives, the yearly wars have just concluded, so the barracoons are full. He chooses 130 slaves, both men and women. They are loaded onto his...
(full context)
Chapter 6
...soldiers march in with their new heads on sticks. The captives are placed in the barracoon, or stockade, without much to eat.
(full context)
...captives are marched to Wydah, a slave port on the coast. They’re kept in another barracoon for three weeks; they can see ships in the ocean, but the view is obstructed...
(full context)
...Because they are young, they play games and take turns climbing the fence of the barracoon to peer outside. After three weeks, a white man comes into the barracoon and inspects...
(full context)
