QUOTE:
“My condition was now a little improved. But for weeks I was tormented by hundreds of little red insects, fine as a needle’s point, that pierced through my skin, and produced an intolerable burning” (Jacobs 1823).
SUMMARY:
After finding a hiding place in the small shed attached to her grandmother’s house, Linda Brent (Jacobs) must deal with the horrible conditions of the crawl space that became her new home.
RESPONSE:
Harriet Jacobs was one tough cookie! I bet I’d do the same thing though because I’m always curling up in a little ball, which actually drives my sister crazy. I think if I was scared for my life I could stay in a small space, however, I don’t know about having red bugs crawling all over me and biting me. Maybe after hiding there for seven years, weeks of red bugs crawling on me wouldn’t seem too bad, but I think I’d have a nervous breakdown.
The other incidents that Jacobs deals with while in her hiding place are also pretty terrible, but I think it was probably more psychologically terrible, as opposed to being physically hurt or bitten. She lived seven years of her life kind of like a voyeur! Except, I don’t think Jacobs enjoyed any minute of it, and especially since she got to witness how Dr. Flint would stop at nothing to find her and punish her. Jacobs also could only watch her children growing up, instead of being able to talk to them, hold them, or just be a mother to them.
This seems like a real case of the zombie life from my earlier journal about Equiano! Even though her grandmother knew she was there and would help her out most of the time, it seems like Jacobs was alive in a coffin. Luckily from what she writes at the end of the reading, Jacobs just focused on her good memories whenever she would think about any of the absolutely horrible experiences she had.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Journal #29 Harriet Jacobs: The Lesson Is, Don't Ever Fall In Love!
QUOTE:
“Why does the slave ever love? Why allow the tendrils of the heart to twine around objects which may at any moment be wrenched away by the hand of violence” (Jacobs 1812).
SUMMARY:
When the free man Linda Brent is in love with wants to marry her, her master Dr. Flint becomes very jealous. Brent’s situation becomes utterly hopeless because Dr. Flint puts an extra close watch on her, and her lover soon moves away.
RESPONSE:
How awful it must have been for Brent. Not only is her master absolutely horrible to her, he also decides that he needs to put her in a secluded house so she can be his sex slave? Luckily that plan never actually happens. If I were Brent, I don’t even know what I would have done. I’m not sure if I would have purposely gotten pregnant with some other white man’s child, but I know that would be highly preferred to ending up with children from the bane of my existence. I probably would have rather died instead of deal with such a horrible person, so I think Brent is incredibly strong.
What a creep! I seriously think that Dr. Flint had some power issues, and even mental problems. I wonder how many creepy slaveholders actually got to have their sex slaves. I’m sure there are millions of people alive (especially in the south) today who can trace their heritage back to a slaveholder great-great-great grandfather. It makes me wonder though: if people who owned slaves really didn’t think of them as human, why would they even want to have sex with them? Maybe they were just fronting so they could have their cake and eat it too!
I really think that the people who acted like African slaves weren’t human actually knew deep down that they really were human. I guess an explanation for this could be capitalism in the south? I think greed had to have been a huge factor. Just imagine people being able to get all of the labor for their businesses for free. I’m sure many people would do anything as long as they lived comfortably and in power.
“Why does the slave ever love? Why allow the tendrils of the heart to twine around objects which may at any moment be wrenched away by the hand of violence” (Jacobs 1812).
SUMMARY:
When the free man Linda Brent is in love with wants to marry her, her master Dr. Flint becomes very jealous. Brent’s situation becomes utterly hopeless because Dr. Flint puts an extra close watch on her, and her lover soon moves away.
RESPONSE:
How awful it must have been for Brent. Not only is her master absolutely horrible to her, he also decides that he needs to put her in a secluded house so she can be his sex slave? Luckily that plan never actually happens. If I were Brent, I don’t even know what I would have done. I’m not sure if I would have purposely gotten pregnant with some other white man’s child, but I know that would be highly preferred to ending up with children from the bane of my existence. I probably would have rather died instead of deal with such a horrible person, so I think Brent is incredibly strong.
What a creep! I seriously think that Dr. Flint had some power issues, and even mental problems. I wonder how many creepy slaveholders actually got to have their sex slaves. I’m sure there are millions of people alive (especially in the south) today who can trace their heritage back to a slaveholder great-great-great grandfather. It makes me wonder though: if people who owned slaves really didn’t think of them as human, why would they even want to have sex with them? Maybe they were just fronting so they could have their cake and eat it too!
I really think that the people who acted like African slaves weren’t human actually knew deep down that they really were human. I guess an explanation for this could be capitalism in the south? I think greed had to have been a huge factor. Just imagine people being able to get all of the labor for their businesses for free. I’m sure many people would do anything as long as they lived comfortably and in power.
Journal #28 Harriet Jacobs: At Least She Had A Happy Childhood?
QUOTE:
“I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away” (Jacobs 1809).
SUMMARY:
Linda Brent (pseudonym for Harriet Jacobs) was fortunate to have a somewhat normal, happy childhood. After she learned that she was a slave, she still had at least a somewhat kind mistress. However, Brent’s so-called “nice” mistress didn’t leave her slaves free after she died.
RESPONSE:
It doesn’t seem right for anyone to rationalize Brent’s whole life, saying, “at least she had a happy childhood,” since the first years of a child’s life are so important. However, Brent does seem to treasure the memories she has from when she was living a “sheltered” life. At the end of our reading she even says that her early memories make her happy. What I can’t get over though, is that her mother’s white mistress, no matter how “kind” she may have been, didn’t give Brent’s mother or any of Brent’s mother’s children freedom upon her death. In fact, it seems like it was very rare for any slaveholder to leave any of their slaves free.
The whole system for keeping slavery a completely lucrative asset for a slaveholder seems like it was devastating for any slave, and it disgusts me when I think about it. I can’t think of any reason other than greed that would cause mistresses or masters to squeeze every last bit of work they could get out of their slaves, and then also try to do the same with any children their slaves may give birth to. Then, if for some reason their slaves would think they'd be free at least when their master or mistress died, these slaves, and basically their whole family lineage, would be left as an inheritance to their family members.
I would want to smack anyone who was that greedy, but I really don’t think that would have done any good. I guess that’s probably one of the reasons why certain revolutionaries (like Emerson and Thoreau) were so against slavery, besides the fact that slavery in general is inhumane and should not exist. At least there was a civil war that ended slavery, even though that sounds pretty horrible to be glad that there was a war.
“I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away” (Jacobs 1809).
SUMMARY:
Linda Brent (pseudonym for Harriet Jacobs) was fortunate to have a somewhat normal, happy childhood. After she learned that she was a slave, she still had at least a somewhat kind mistress. However, Brent’s so-called “nice” mistress didn’t leave her slaves free after she died.
RESPONSE:
It doesn’t seem right for anyone to rationalize Brent’s whole life, saying, “at least she had a happy childhood,” since the first years of a child’s life are so important. However, Brent does seem to treasure the memories she has from when she was living a “sheltered” life. At the end of our reading she even says that her early memories make her happy. What I can’t get over though, is that her mother’s white mistress, no matter how “kind” she may have been, didn’t give Brent’s mother or any of Brent’s mother’s children freedom upon her death. In fact, it seems like it was very rare for any slaveholder to leave any of their slaves free.
The whole system for keeping slavery a completely lucrative asset for a slaveholder seems like it was devastating for any slave, and it disgusts me when I think about it. I can’t think of any reason other than greed that would cause mistresses or masters to squeeze every last bit of work they could get out of their slaves, and then also try to do the same with any children their slaves may give birth to. Then, if for some reason their slaves would think they'd be free at least when their master or mistress died, these slaves, and basically their whole family lineage, would be left as an inheritance to their family members.
I would want to smack anyone who was that greedy, but I really don’t think that would have done any good. I guess that’s probably one of the reasons why certain revolutionaries (like Emerson and Thoreau) were so against slavery, besides the fact that slavery in general is inhumane and should not exist. At least there was a civil war that ended slavery, even though that sounds pretty horrible to be glad that there was a war.
Journal #27 Frederick Douglass: Those Kinky Slave Masters!
QUOTE:
“Women -white women, I mean- are IDOLS at the south, not WIVES, for the slave women are preferred in many instances; and if these idols but nod, or lift a finger, woe to the poor victim” (Douglass 2139).
SUMMARY:
Slaveholding men would rape their women slaves, preferring to have sex with their slaves than with their own wives. Many would have children with their slaves, which would result in those children either being sold or treated even worse than regular slaves.
RESPONSE:
If having to work in the fields while being treated like cattle, or getting whipped and beaten to a bloody pulp sounds horrible, imagine the life of the indoor slave woman. Most people would think that an indoor slave woman would at least have the easier life, but if she is spending most of her time indoors being raped, I bet a lot more people would think of her situation as being worse. I can’t imagine how psychologically, if not just physically, damaging that was for those women. What a horrible nightmare for any woman to have a person she despises subject her to such a violation, but then also to find out that she is going to have his child.
Not only did these women have their master’s children, they would most likely have to be separated from any of these “mixed” children. I bet the wives of these men did not like seeing illegitimate children running around with features matching their own husbands’ features. I guess if these people didn’t think of their slaves as “people,” then maybe the men didn’t consider having sex with their slaves as being unfaithful? Even if that were the case, then it would be like the wives finding out that their husbands were having sex with their horses! I think that what really made things worse for those wives though, was having to see the children that resulted from it.
So “boo hoo,” it wasn’t something the wives of slave masters should have to deal with, however, it’s the same old story with jealous wives and girlfriends. The other woman gets the full extent of her wrath, and the man is never to blame. I’m not saying that women who knowingly help a man cheat are completely innocent, but I am saying that most likely the slave women were.
“Women -white women, I mean- are IDOLS at the south, not WIVES, for the slave women are preferred in many instances; and if these idols but nod, or lift a finger, woe to the poor victim” (Douglass 2139).
SUMMARY:
Slaveholding men would rape their women slaves, preferring to have sex with their slaves than with their own wives. Many would have children with their slaves, which would result in those children either being sold or treated even worse than regular slaves.
RESPONSE:
If having to work in the fields while being treated like cattle, or getting whipped and beaten to a bloody pulp sounds horrible, imagine the life of the indoor slave woman. Most people would think that an indoor slave woman would at least have the easier life, but if she is spending most of her time indoors being raped, I bet a lot more people would think of her situation as being worse. I can’t imagine how psychologically, if not just physically, damaging that was for those women. What a horrible nightmare for any woman to have a person she despises subject her to such a violation, but then also to find out that she is going to have his child.
Not only did these women have their master’s children, they would most likely have to be separated from any of these “mixed” children. I bet the wives of these men did not like seeing illegitimate children running around with features matching their own husbands’ features. I guess if these people didn’t think of their slaves as “people,” then maybe the men didn’t consider having sex with their slaves as being unfaithful? Even if that were the case, then it would be like the wives finding out that their husbands were having sex with their horses! I think that what really made things worse for those wives though, was having to see the children that resulted from it.
So “boo hoo,” it wasn’t something the wives of slave masters should have to deal with, however, it’s the same old story with jealous wives and girlfriends. The other woman gets the full extent of her wrath, and the man is never to blame. I’m not saying that women who knowingly help a man cheat are completely innocent, but I am saying that most likely the slave women were.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Journal #26 Frederick Douglass: Knowledge Is Key!
QUOTE:
“Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read” (Douglass 2086).
SUMMARY:
Mrs. Auld teaches Frederick the ABC’s and how to spell little words, but her husband finds out and forbids her to teach him anything else. However, it was too late. Frederick already knew he must learn to read and write, and that knowledge was the path to freedom.
RESPONSE:
Mrs. Auld sure opened up a “can-o-worms” by starting Douglass on his quest for freedom. It makes sense why Mr. Auld would be so scared to have any of his slaves learn anything too, because look what happened? There’s no way slavery could have lasted as long as it did if all of the slaves had the chance to learn even just basic knowledge. It makes me think of the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show, in a way. Once Jim Carrey’s character finds out that there is a whole real world outside of his little fake “T.V. show” world, nobody can stop him from escaping the show.
It’s pretty awesome how Douglass is basically saying that knowledge will set him free, because I think it can be applied to so many other situations. There are probably so many people who can have a better life if they just go back to school and learn. However, I bet that there are also many powerful people who don’t want the majority of people in the country to have a good education, and especially if they rely on cheap labor. Just like how politicians rely on apathy, business owners want the most desperate people who aren’t qualified for better jobs, and are willing to work for minimum wage.
There are the highly rare instances when education can in fact work against somebody. I have a friend who graduated from Stanford, but she can’t find a job now because everyone assumes that she’ll want too much money for her salary. That’s probably just as rare as the high-school dropout becoming a millionaire though! I still agree with Douglass, that knowledge is the path to freedom.
“Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read” (Douglass 2086).
SUMMARY:
Mrs. Auld teaches Frederick the ABC’s and how to spell little words, but her husband finds out and forbids her to teach him anything else. However, it was too late. Frederick already knew he must learn to read and write, and that knowledge was the path to freedom.
RESPONSE:
Mrs. Auld sure opened up a “can-o-worms” by starting Douglass on his quest for freedom. It makes sense why Mr. Auld would be so scared to have any of his slaves learn anything too, because look what happened? There’s no way slavery could have lasted as long as it did if all of the slaves had the chance to learn even just basic knowledge. It makes me think of the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show, in a way. Once Jim Carrey’s character finds out that there is a whole real world outside of his little fake “T.V. show” world, nobody can stop him from escaping the show.
It’s pretty awesome how Douglass is basically saying that knowledge will set him free, because I think it can be applied to so many other situations. There are probably so many people who can have a better life if they just go back to school and learn. However, I bet that there are also many powerful people who don’t want the majority of people in the country to have a good education, and especially if they rely on cheap labor. Just like how politicians rely on apathy, business owners want the most desperate people who aren’t qualified for better jobs, and are willing to work for minimum wage.
There are the highly rare instances when education can in fact work against somebody. I have a friend who graduated from Stanford, but she can’t find a job now because everyone assumes that she’ll want too much money for her salary. That’s probably just as rare as the high-school dropout becoming a millionaire though! I still agree with Douglass, that knowledge is the path to freedom.
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