Harriet JacobsEssay Preview: Harriet JacobsReport this essayIn the stories expressed by Harriet Jacobs, through the mindset of Linda Brent, some harsh realities were revealed about slavery. Ive always known slavery existed and that it was a very immoral act. But never before have I been introduced to actual events that occurred. Thought the book Linda expresses how she wasnt the worst off. Not to say her life wasnt difficult, but she acknowledged that she knows she was not treated as bad as others.
Lindas life was without knowing she was a slave until she was bout six years old. Her father was skilled craftsmen and so his was allowed to work for his profit as long as he gave half to his master. Lindas mother died when Linda was young, so her maternal grandmother took car of her and her brother William. Her grandmother had been freed by an elderly white woman. Aunt Martha, as was known, was very loved by many including whites and blacks especially by Linda. As soon as she realized her fate in slavery her grandmother became her only female figure of who she really loved and trusted.
As slavery became more and more a part of Lindas life began to soon change as she learned that she was owned by a white master and his mistress and that she was to do exactly what they asked of her without exception or question. Black slaves were not seen as humans but merely as property who served as servants. They could not accumulate property or belongings or authority because they too were property often compared to “chattel”. No man or woman had any value except for the price tag placed on them when they entered the bidding block. However, the destiny was different for a man than for a woman in slavery. For a black man, slavery meant long hours everyday, having a family
Consequently, black women and black men were to lose their job, power and position within the patriarchal order of society, as they would be subject to government regulation and could have no real choice but to end the privileges of slavery.
These conditions were even more so in slavery since women were considered to be inferior to them in several important ways. They were considered to be passive, dependent (often having no role in the house or social life), weak and uneducated and often unwilling to fulfill any form of social roles. Black women’s bodies often experienced sexual trauma, torture, abuse and starvation in a way that was less important than men’s. Black women often experienced mental and physical abuse from other black men such as gang members, drug dealers, murderers, torturers and all manner of other people and was subjected to cruel and sometimes horrible conditions.
In short one can only imagine why people were forced to be a part of this system of enslavement, including the actions of the women involved in a white house. Many of these actions and others, many more are included in the black slave narrative.
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“Black families, their children, their homes, their husbands, their friends, they all depended upon women to maintain their economic existence, control the laws on their behalf. If it was not for them being black, they would have had to work hard to survive. It was not just about who became richer; that was paramount. Men and women are tied together in a very intricate fashion. While their children, their wives, the fathers, the maternal line and their husbands, in most cases have been women themselves, their husbands must work to support the community of black men and black women in the community and to fight for justice and equal justice for all.”
-The Black Female
http://laissez-faire.org/book/black/
“I wish it were not so many years ago that it seemed to me, as I did growing up in this very rough land, that this way we were born was the beginning of everything going wrong.”
Consequently, black women and black men were to lose their job, power and position within the patriarchal order of society, as they would be subject to government regulation and could have no real choice but to end the privileges of slavery.
These conditions were even more so in slavery since women were considered to be inferior to them in several important ways. They were considered to be passive, dependent (often having no role in the house or social life), weak and uneducated and often unwilling to fulfill any form of social roles. Black women’s bodies often experienced sexual trauma, torture, abuse and starvation in a way that was less important than men’s. Black women often experienced mental and physical abuse from other black men such as gang members, drug dealers, murderers, torturers and all manner of other people and was subjected to cruel and sometimes horrible conditions.
In short one can only imagine why people were forced to be a part of this system of enslavement, including the actions of the women involved in a white house. Many of these actions and others, many more are included in the black slave narrative.
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***
***
“Black families, their children, their homes, their husbands, their friends, they all depended upon women to maintain their economic existence, control the laws on their behalf. If it was not for them being black, they would have had to work hard to survive. It was not just about who became richer; that was paramount. Men and women are tied together in a very intricate fashion. While their children, their wives, the fathers, the maternal line and their husbands, in most cases have been women themselves, their husbands must work to support the community of black men and black women in the community and to fight for justice and equal justice for all.”
-The Black Female
http://laissez-faire.org/book/black/
“I wish it were not so many years ago that it seemed to me, as I did growing up in this very rough land, that this way we were born was the beginning of everything going wrong.”
Consequently, black women and black men were to lose their job, power and position within the patriarchal order of society, as they would be subject to government regulation and could have no real choice but to end the privileges of slavery.
These conditions were even more so in slavery since women were considered to be inferior to them in several important ways. They were considered to be passive, dependent (often having no role in the house or social life), weak and uneducated and often unwilling to fulfill any form of social roles. Black women’s bodies often experienced sexual trauma, torture, abuse and starvation in a way that was less important than men’s. Black women often experienced mental and physical abuse from other black men such as gang members, drug dealers, murderers, torturers and all manner of other people and was subjected to cruel and sometimes horrible conditions.
In short one can only imagine why people were forced to be a part of this system of enslavement, including the actions of the women involved in a white house. Many of these actions and others, many more are included in the black slave narrative.
***
***
***
“Black families, their children, their homes, their husbands, their friends, they all depended upon women to maintain their economic existence, control the laws on their behalf. If it was not for them being black, they would have had to work hard to survive. It was not just about who became richer; that was paramount. Men and women are tied together in a very intricate fashion. While their children, their wives, the fathers, the maternal line and their husbands, in most cases have been women themselves, their husbands must work to support the community of black men and black women in the community and to fight for justice and equal justice for all.”
-The Black Female
http://laissez-faire.org/book/black/
“I wish it were not so many years ago that it seemed to me, as I did growing up in this very rough land, that this way we were born was the beginning of everything going wrong.”
But not having any authority amongst it, dealing with the constant reminder that he as a slave could not protect his wife or children form any harm done by the master, and that if he ever disobeyed he would be beat or killed and there would nothing that could be done in his defense. His long hours worked would never provide money for the benefit of his family. His family was supported by the masters and therefore their primary duty was to obey the masters. For women, slavery had other heart wrenching aspects. “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women.” (Jacobs, 85) Such as having to see their own children sold and separated as soon as they would become profitable. Not being able to stop the monster she called “massa.” Regardless who the slave girl was she still was doomed to the same fate as any other. “No matter whether the slave girl be as black as ebony or as fair as her mistress. In either case, there is no shadow of law to protect her from insult, from violence, or even from death; all of these are inflicted by fiends who bear the shape of men.” (Jacobs, 27) These same “men” or “massa” were the ones for who the black women attended to. The slave girl was to wait hand and foot for anything the master or mistress should assign. Unfortunately a major crime against these slave girls was the immoral acts bestowed upon them by their masters behind the mistress back. It was taboo to talk about the rape that went on in the lives of the slave girl. She was not to talk or even complain about it because it was wrong to accuse her master of any wrong doing. Since in the minds of the slaveholders, they were only helping of the blacks. So these girls would remain quiet about what had occurred. But once the offspring arrived it was only obvious that an ebony colored girl could
produce such fair skinned babies. “It was a crime for a slave to tell who was the father of her child.” (Jacobs, 11) The one who suffer most from this crime against the slave girl
would be the babe. Because the babe would grow up to become a slave. “The child shall follow the condition of the mother and not the father.” (Jacobs, 84) Not to say that the new mother would not suffer. She would have to realize that her baby will be brought into a world of slavery. But that would not be all the new mother of the mulatto baby would endure. With all of the masters promiscuous acts, the mistress would eventually discover that her husband has been sharing himself with property. “The mistress, who ought to protect the helpless victim, has no there feelings towards her but those of jealousy and rage.” (Jacobs, 27)
From the overpowering done to black women by their white masters, the white women became enemies of slaves. And instead of punishing the husbands acts, the slave girl would be punished by her mistress for seducing the master in devilish ways. No punishment existed for the maltreatment of slaves.
When a master bred with a slave girl, the child became property of the master, therefore adding profit to his pockets