Creoles of Good Blood (Louisiana Past Paper PDF)

# Créoles de buena sangre ## The house of Valmorain - The story takes place in New Orleans, in the French Quarter. - Valmorain and his brother-in-law, Sancho García del Solar, are refugees from Saint-Domingue. - They are créoles of good blood (a term used to denote people born in the Americas of F...

# Créoles de buena sangre ## The house of Valmorain - The story takes place in New Orleans, in the French Quarter. - Valmorain and his brother-in-law, Sancho García del Solar, are refugees from Saint-Domingue. - They are créoles of good blood (a term used to denote people born in the Americas of French descent). - They have a sugar plantation in Louisiana. ## The créoles - The créoles are a closed society, priding themselves on their heritage and wealth. - They are wary of outsiders and only socialize with people of their own social standing. - They are not open to accepting slaves into their families, even if they are French. - They have strict rules about social behavior and alcohol consumption. - They are against slavery but don't want to talk about it publicly. ## The plantation - Valmorain wants to create a model plantation where the slaves are treated fairly and humanely. - He wants to set an example for other planters and show that it is possible to produce sugar without brutality. - He is worried about being seen as weak or sentimental. - He hires a new cook and overseer. ## The overseer, Owen Murphy - Murphy is a tough but fair man. - He believes in providing the slaves with some basic rights, such as the right to attend church and to have a day off each week. - He is a devout Catholic and wants to prevent the slaves from being influenced by American Protestantism. - He is committed to creating a better life for the slaves in his care. - He doesn't beat them and he allows women to have time to rest and recover before giving birth. ## The conclusion of the excerpt - The excerpt ends with a description of the new life that the slaves on the plantation are living. - They are given better food and housing, and they are allowed to have some free time and to celebrate their own cultural traditions. ## Valmorain's goal - Valmorain's goal is to create a plantation that is both productive and humane, a place where people can live with dignity and respect. - He wants to show that it is possible to be a successful planter while still treating your workers fairly. - He is optimistic about the future and believes that his plantation will be a model for others.