Authors develop themes through their own words and actions of the protagonists and antagonists. Nightjohn, by Gary Paulsen, is a novelette about a young female African-American slave named Sarny. Sarny first sees Nightjohn when he is brought to the plantation with a rope around his neck, his body covered in scars. He had escaped north to freedom, but he came back and came back to teach reading. People need to learn to be a human being and make a difference, Knowledge gives everything power.

Slaves like Sarny aren’t allowed to learn or else slaves would take advantage in their learning to escape or fight back, slaves are basically deprived and separated from learning because they’re going to be punished if they’re found learning how to read