The Cruelty Experienced By Slave Women Essay - 760 Words

The Cruelty Experienced by Slave Women Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2001) Slavery was one of the most horrific ways of life; therefore, slaves went to great lengths to protect themselves and the ones they loved. These slaves took many risks in hopes that one day slavery would be abolished and that African Americans would no longer be treated in such a manner. Harriet Jacobs helps readers visualize the life of slave women by describing how they were sexually harassed, given limited power, and at times, separated from their children. She also managed to resist the force of slavery and her master in ways, such as running away and having a relationship with men other than her master. Jacobs makes a valid argument that women in slavery suffered much more than men. Special burdens were placed upon slave women that were not placed upon slave men. In nearly all cases, slave-owners would pursue their young slave girl until she submitted to him. To get her to sleep with h im, he first â€Å"[bribed] her with presents. If these [failed] to accomplish their purpose, she [was] whipped or starved into submission to [his] will† (Jacobs 44). One of the worse threats these women received was the threat to sell their children to different owners (Jacobs 64). Men did not experience these trials in the fact that their owners would not sexually abuse them. Often times slave women were prohibited from marrying the man of their choice;Show MoreRelatedThe Harrowing Story Of Harriet Jacobs1284 Words   |  6 PagesHarriet Jacobs experiences with slavery opens the reader’s eyes to the special cruelty women endured under the watchful eye of their masters and mistresses. And while Jacobs openly admits that slavery is terrible fate for both men and women, there are additional burdens added to women who are forced to live under the commands of another. Jacobs writes, â€Å"Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women. Superadded to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, and sufferings, andRead MoreOverview. Octavia Butler’S Kindred Focuses On The Perspective1731 Words   |  7 PagesOctavia Butler’s Kindred focuses on the perspective of a black female within two drastically different societies ranging from the ideals of colonialism to a society of change and acceptance. Butler utilizes Dana’s position in society to portray the cruelty of slavery and the power that society can have on the ideals and morals of individuals, such as the developing character of Rufus. Throughout the book, the issue of slavery is addressed through a multitude of different themes that span across Dana’sRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Twelve Years A Slave Essay1684 Words   |  7 PagesWithout slavery, America’s history would not be the same anymore. The film Twelve Years a Slave by Steve McQueen is an adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir twelve Years a slave by Solomon Northup. The movie gives us just enough ideas and information how slavery was back then. With just the first few minutes, the movie already brings its audience in about slavery by opening up with a group of slaves receiving instruction on cutting sugar cane. The film principal message about slavery concernsRead MoreThe Power of Sympathy Essay1179 Words   |  5 PagesIn the typical slave narrative, the intentions are fairly known. The author has written with a certain willingness that would appeal to the reader emotionally. There is a message behind every tear, or in this case, every page. The slave narrative was used to give others an insight of what they had endured. Grabbing the reader’s sympathy, they also now had the reader’s support (wsu.edu). This reasoning could be seen in several narratives from that off Jacobs, Douglass, and Equiano. The theme of theirRead MoreEquiano s Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano Essay1579 Words   |  7 Pagesgot separated from him. This sets up the reader to know that there is plenty more tragedy to come. This is when he gets thrown into a life of slavery. From there he tries to wiggle his way out from the life of a slave and to create his own. Equiano uses anecdotes that he has experienced to prove to his readers that slavery is cruel and unforgiving, such as the time when he was being transported, to the treatment under his masters, and finally even when he was a free man. Being taken away fromRead MoreEquiano s Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano1367 Words   |  6 Pagespurchased his freedom and wrote his autobiography in 1789. Equiano experienced hardships beyond imaging in his years as a slave and oftentimes witnessed extensive cruelty by whites towards Africans. Equiano s experience of the Atlantic slave trade and middle passage as we understand it today was typical of a regular captive. The Atlantic slave trade, more specifically the experience that Equiano had was horrific. The Atlantic slave trade stands as one of the greatest mistreatments towards other humansRead MoreDehumanization in Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup1295 Words   |  6 Pagestreated him humanely. Solomon Northup experienced shear torture, cruelty, and the loss of his dignity, throughout his many years as a slave. After many years, he came in contact with an abolitionist, who sent letters to Northup’s family to notify them of his life and stat us. He was soon rescued from Louisiana and freed as a slave. The narrative of Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave reveals the lived experience of dehumanization of the male slave, female slave, and the masters during the slaveryRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Douglass s The Great Gatsby 1208 Words   |  5 Pages† Through the personal experiences of his own life as a slave and his perseverance to become educated, Douglass shows us that it requires persistence and bravery to look for freedom. He also illustrates to the audience that there is no real end in this search for freedom until slavery is fully abolished. Purpose: Douglass wrote this book when slavery was still a normal and acceptable lifestyle in the US. Through his own sufferings as a slave, Douglass wants to show the American people the true injusticesRead MoreHarriet Tubman And Frederick Douglass Essay1421 Words   |  6 Pagesvery tender age, for instance, Harriet Tubman started working as a house servant at the age of six, while Douglas started working as a slave at the age of nine. During the time they worked as slaves, Fredrick and Tubman experienced the cruelties of slavery as well as witnessing the brutality that was upon the slaves. During this ear, many African Americans were slaves and they lived under harsh conditions and harsh rules from their owners. Some of them were beaten to death while others injured but stillRead MoreSlavery in Ancient Rome1491 Words   |  6 Pagesexperiences of enslaved women differed from the experience of enslaved men in ancient Rome; slavery within ancient Rome can be traced back to the fir st century BCE and was based primarily on the chattel slave system. Slavery within the ancient roman society was highly normalised as it was considered a part of roman culture. Slavery within ancient Rome was so heavily normalised that it is considered to be described as a â€Å"slave society† Joshel (2010, p. 6) states that â€Å"For slaves living in the Roman