Slave narratives Flashcards
Important genres of writing within American culture
135 confirmed real slave narratives
Originally rejected by historians because there was a belief the narratives were written by abolitionists and were biased
White privilege is exposed in
Black history
Rise of new social history (history from below)
Texts rely on broader cultural logic
To be persuasive and make a point
Broader logics are not under the control of any individual
Night time work of the slave explored in the narratives
Established relationships that were explored in the evenings
Frederick Douglass
The heroic slave
Leading historical figure in the 19th C
Elkin’s book slavery
1950s
Argued against the view that slavery was a benign institution
Sambo-complex; idea that slavery destroyed the black man to the point of no return; ruined black masculinity
Gender logic explored in Douglass’ text
Juxtaposition of slavery and manhood
Religious logic in Douglass’ text
Description of conversion of slave holder (Covey) as a Methodist
Covey using religion as a shield for his deeds against slavery
Economic logic in Douglass’ text
Celebration of free labour
Celebration of the north tied up in descriptions of the celebration of the economy
Illegal for slaves to testify against slaveholders in court
“I was doomed to be a witness and a participant”
Natural goodness of women in home is subverted by slavery
Mrs Auld was originally very kind to Douglass, started to teach him how to read and write
Eventually becomes mean; slavery corrupts
Female voices silenced
Anna Murray helped him escape but does not include how this happened (didn’t want slaveholders to know how slaves escape)
Harriot Jacob’s narrative changes this
Literacy as
Freedom
People who have no education/believe in slavery
Written in plantation dialect
“I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one”
Ironic
Douglass’ narrative is about developing thoughts and exploring one’s identity
Language in the text reflects
The world around the slaves
Bound as language users
Of the 135 known slave narratives, only
6 are written by women
Harriet Jacobs
Believed female slaves had a worse time than male slaves
Both experienced physical abuse, but it extended to sexual abuse in women
Harriet Jacobs’ narrative
Came out during Civil War (could be propaganda)
Era when female writers used male names in an attempt to get published
Jacobs having autonomy in her life
Fell in love with a free black man (who she was banned from marrying)
To escape sexual harassment from her master, she entered into a consensual relationship with a white man (who fathered her children)
Jacobs refused to escape
Slave women were less likely to attempt to escape slavery because they could not make the journey with their children
She hid in a crawl space in her grandmother’s house (her children were being cared for by her grandmother)
