Muhammad Bilal

Muhammad Bilal is the first character introduced in The Glory Field. Muhammad is also the first documented member of the Lewis family. Muhammad Bilal is the son of a farmer. His family is probably part of a large village who all contribute to the well-being of one particular tribe. At the opening of the narrative he is shackled at the ankles in the belly of a slave ship on the coast of Sierra Leone. The narrative does not reveal the particulars of the character's life, but it would be reasonable to assume that Muhammad Bilal's pre-slavery existence is simple and happy. The novel does not indicate whether or not Muhammad Bilal has siblings.

For all that is missing about Bilal's life in Africa, it is nevertheless clear that the boy possesses an inner strength uncommon in one so young. Muhammad Bilal's feelings and thoughts provide the basis...