Q 1. What were the implications of the system of slavery for southern white and black
women?
There was always a separation in people’s minds about black women and white women. White women were always thought of as a higher class, and of better wealth. And black women were thought of as all being slaves or more poor. Unmarried white women actually had more freedom and were treated different from the rest. In fact “Elite white women in plantation society were elevated to a lofty pedestal that was the ideological inverse of the auction block on which slave women’s fate was sealed” (page 157). I think that white women have always been more privileged because of the color of their skin, but that is only generalizing. White married women lived a little bit more different, they had more power and they were a very important figure in the household. Despite all of this, the South didn’t allow white women to have any jobson. On the other hand, slaves were treated very differently from the white’s. Slaves were beaten and sexually abused by their own masters. They didn’t have a say in anything and had bad lives. I think the message behind all of the implications is that white women were more pure “of elite white womanhood, rather than the enslavement of black people, was the core value of southern society” (page 158). The south was much more different from the North, because in the people could actually have jobs. This means that in the South black women and white women were treated basically on opposite ends.
Q 2: What is the significance of the story of Harriet Jacobs for our understanding of slave
women’s experiences? (pp. 166-167 “Trials of Girlhood”)
This story actually has a lot of significance to it. Harriet Jacobs was basically a slave since twelve years old, treated horrible by a much older white man. Her story is very sad and shows us how horrible the life of a slave can truly be. She was corrupted by this man as a child and has seen and heard things that she will never forget in her life. She basically had no choice and had to live this life because she was his “property.” The author clearly shows how difficult the life of a slave can be and by reading this story you can understand the experience she had. I think that it really portrays the life of a girl, along with many other people who had the same problems that she did. Even though she escaped, her life was still ruined. Even though all these things happened to her, she still kept in touch with her kids and fought for her life.
Textbook
Q 1. How did characters characters in these two accounts reject and resist the assumptions about black people fundamental to the slave system? On what personal resources did they draw to make their challenges?
These two authors basically show the lives of black and white people. They both lead very difficult lifes, which was for sure. But it was obvious that white women definitely had more privileges. They were able to have certain rights, such as education. I think that the author wants the reader to know that black people were just as good as whites, but didn’t get the same opportunities and chances in life. The slaves were not educated and couldn’t really tell anyone how they felt, and the author tries to show that they are people too and they have thoughts and feelings like the rest of us. It is very sad how the color of a person’s skin can completely change their life (in those days). The personal resources were the interviews, and they referred to the blacks as “negros” and I think that is self explanatory as to how these slaves were treated. The whites basically treated them horribly and these resources show that the slaves were normal people who had feelings too.
Q 2. Both of these stories were written after the fact: the Crafts’ ten years following the
emancipation and Polly Shine’s after about seven decades. Evaluate the role memory
plays in these accounts, and consider the ways in which it distorts or possibly
authenticates the narrator’s experiences.
I think that the stories that were told were very sad. Anyone who goes through a horrible experience like that will remember for the rest of their lives. I don’t think that horrible visions can ever leave a person’s mind and the narrator clearly portrays the hardships that they went through. I’m sure that if something had happened seventy years ago, like Polly Shine’s experience it wouldn’t be possible to remember everything in detail, but more vague. This kind of “authenticates” the experience, but I don’t think that makes a difference because the reader sees that no matter how much time passed the story is still real.
3 comments:
PR #1
Hi Lusine,
For question no 1, you probably overlooked the part where "true womanhood" wasn't presented by women who lived in the south. They were actually more priviledged because they were not expected to do domestic chores and also they were somehow able to make their own choices. Like for example those of married white women were able to lead the family, make the decisions and take care of them at the same time. That was the reason why men envied them in that area. On the other hand, being a slave was really a "slave" meaning, regardless of the gender, they were all treated unfairly. Especially to those of black women slaves. If you think about it, their load was probably times two heavier than those of white women slaves.
Haha you basically summarized Jacobs's life story in question 2. Cool!Yea, it must be really a traumatic experience for her. The fact that she was only a young teenager when it first happened. She probably felt "impure" to herself after the incident. It's really sad because she really or any of those slaves didn't have a choice but to give in to their masters. Another thing also was that they were not able to ask for help to anyone or even the Mistress because the slaves were looked down with anger and jealousy by them.And once pregnant, they would have to kill the baby otherwise as they grow, they too will experience the same treatment as their mother did.
Kudos to you on this one! You informed me about this topic even more."I think that the author wants the reader to know that black people were just as good as whites, but didn’t get the same opportunities and chances in life." I didn't think of it that way as how you saw it. good job! All I thought was that from both accounts, they both proved how human beings are also able to read and write. They proved how we too have feelings and emotions. We feel pain and happiness somehow regardless the color of our skins or how we look like. Both accounts resisted by writing their own life's story to the public.
Yep, we kind of have similar reasons/answers on this one. I agree that anyone who would experience this type of treatment could be traumatized for the rest of their life. They will surely remember it, when people/interviewers ask them, it might not be as detailed like you said but there's no doubt that every single word they said was real and true. It's one of those unforgettable moments thats in stored in your mind and heart forever.
for number one i agree women were more privlaged in the south, and i also like how it was said the term slave was used to describe all types of women because thats basically what they all were.
- It was sad how there was nothing young black women could do at this time and there pride and innocence taken away like it was nothing, which i feel is the WORST thing that can happen to any woman.
- I also feel that was what the author was trying to get across in saying that skin color doesnt matter and people are people, no one deserves to be treated any less fairly.
- Its truly sad how many lives where lived out, the types of experiences described no one should have to undergo, its these sort of things that i feel people should remember the most, so that we are nevr doomed to repeat our past mistreatments for others.
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