# My First Great Trial explained — Father Henson’s Story of His Own Life

> Chapter companion for Father Henson’s Story of His Own Life by Josiah Henson.

## What happens

Josiah Henson recounts his early childhood with the kind Dr. McPherson, who gave him his name and treated him as a pet. After McPherson's death from drowning while intoxicated, the estate is broken up and the slaves are sold at auction. Henson's mother, Charlotte, desperately begs Isaac Riley to buy her youngest son along with her, but Riley violently kicks her away. Henson is sold to a cruel man named Robb, falls severely ill, and is eventually sold cheaply to Riley, reuniting him with his mother.

## Themes in this chapter

### Family Separation

The auction tears Josiah from his mother and siblings, and his mother's desperate plea to keep her youngest child is met with brutal violence.

### Dehumanization and Identity

Josiah is given his name by his master, but is later treated as mere property, examined like livestock at auction, and sold for a small sum in horseshoeing.

### Faith and Religion

Charlotte's deep piety and prayers, including teaching the Lord's Prayer, contrast with the brutality of slavery, and her cry 'Oh, Lord Jesus, how long' echoes her suffering.

## Character check-ins

### Josiah Henson

Narrates his early childhood, including being named by Dr. McPherson, witnessing the auction, being sold to Robb, falling ill, and finally being reunited with his mother.

### Charlotte

Josiah's mother, a deeply religious woman who prays fervently, is sold to Isaac Riley, and desperately begs to keep her youngest son, only to be violently kicked away.

### Dr. Josiah McPherson

The kind master who gave Josiah his name, treated him as a pet, and was generally benevolent, but died from drowning while intoxicated.

### Isaac Riley

Purchases Charlotte at auction, violently kicks her when she begs him to buy her son, and later buys Josiah cheaply from Robb.

### Robb

A tavern keeper who buys Josiah at auction, treats him cruelly, and later sells him to Riley when Josiah falls ill.

## Key lines

> She fell at his feet, and clung to his knees, entreating him in tones that a mother only could command, to buy her baby as well as herself, and spare to her one, at least, of her little ones.

Charlotte dropped to her knees and grasped Isaac Riley's legs, begging him with a mother's desperate voice to purchase her youngest child along with her, so she could keep at least one of her children.

_Illustrates the agony of family separation and the dehumanizing cruelty of the auction block._

> As she crawled away from the brutal man I heard her sob out, 'Oh, Lord Jesus, how long, how long shall I suffer this way!'

As she dragged herself away from the violent man, I heard her weeping and crying out to Jesus, asking how much longer she would have to endure such pain.

_Highlights the intersection of faith and suffering, a key theme in Henson's narrative._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/father_henson_s_story_of_his_own_life_se/chapters/ii-my-first-great-trial
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/father_henson_s_story_of_his_own_life_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/father_henson_s_story_of_his_own_life_se/chapters