Topic 7: Portrayals of BA in literature 1850-2009 Flashcards
what was literacy like in the USA in 1850? what was the impact of this on the impact of literature?
USA = one of the most literate societies in the world.
89% of adult white Americans could read and write.
meant that portrayal of BA in literature would have quite a wide impact.
when was Uncle Tom’s Cabin published?
1852
who was the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
Harriet Beecher Stowe
what was Stowe’s aim in writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
raise awareness of the horror’s of slavery, garner sympathy and change attitudes
how was Uncle Tom’s Cabin originally published?
as weekly chapters in newspaper ‘National Era’. 40 published 1851-2
story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
- Tom is strong, religious slave living in Kentucky w/ family
- another plot involves George and Eliza, slaves who run away over the frozen Ohio River - independent - contrast to Tom
- Tom is sold to another owner in Louisiana - separated from family
- bonds with slave owner’s daughter Eva over love of Bible
- sold to cruel owner who beats him to death for his unshakeable religiosity and for refusing to reveal the hiding place of 2 female runaways
how widespread was the reach of Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
- bestseller - sold 300,000 in first year and 2 million by 10yrs
- also a popular play seen by at least 3 mil
- reached a v wide audience
in what ways did Uncle Tom’s Cabin cause positive change for BA?
- personalised the issues of slavery and generated sympathy
- enhanced abolition campaign
- increased hostility between N+S in context of tensions in 1850s over expansion of slavery - Lincoln told Stowe she was ‘the little lady who started the Civil War’ 1862 BUT may have just entrenched pre-existing views
what did Lincoln tell Stowe and when?
1862 - Lincoln told Stowe she was ‘the little lady who started the Civil War’
in what ways did Uncle Tom’s Cabin lead to a negative change for BA?
- reinforced racial stereotypes such as mammy female, BA having different characters to WA, subservience, white saviour. these stereotypes reinforced in plays and illustrations - arguably more impactful than the anti-slavery message.
- may have just entrenched pre-existing N+S views rather than changing them.
what was a criticism of UTC that emerged after the 13th Amendment?
many WA became uncomfortable with Tom’s relationship with Eva - reflective of fear of interracial sexual relationships –> Eva later depicted to be younger to remove this threat (in 1900 edition)
When was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn published?
1885
who wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
Mark Twain
when and where is TAHF set?
Missouri before the Civil War
What is the story of TAHF?
- Huck runs away from his abusive father and meets Jim, an escaped slave.
- Jim begs Huck not to turn him in, Huck struggles with his conscience.
- Jim and Huck go on adventures together, but Jim is recaptured
- Tom Sawyer helps to free Jim, and Tom is shot in the leg in doing so
- Jim refuses to leave Tom, and Jim is recaptured
- turns out Jim was legally free the whole time
- Huck’s view of BA changes throughout the novel, encourages the readers to do the same
How widespread was the reach of TAHF?
widespread - instant bestseller, numerous film adaptations, the latest in 1993.
became a standard text in most American school classrooms.
what is the portrayal of BA in TAHF?
ambiguous
- mostly racist - racist language and stereotypes used throughout the novel
- Jim is at the mercy of the white characters, must follow around and take part in schemes, despite bringing him harm
- Jim treated as an equal at some points, and is morally superior
- Jim’s humanity is displayed, and the subtle message of the novel is anti-slavery
How far did TAHF change or reflect race relations?
- subtle criticism of slavery lost in the inclusion of many racist stereotypes
- reflected what most people thought of BAs - slavery bad but BAs not equal
- BUT criticised by white southerners- shows not reflective of everyone’s view, but may have entrenched previously held views
OVERALL REFLECTIVE
examples of some reactions to TAHF?
- 1957 - NAACP highlighted the use of racist slurs
- several campaigns (some successful) to get it removed from school classrooms. John Wallace (a school administrator from Georgia) argued in the Washington Post that reading the text aloud was humiliating for black students and contributed to low self-esteem
- 1998 - a court ruled that black children did NOT suffer psychological damage from the text at school
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when did the NAACP highlight the racist slurs in TAHF?
1957
what was the name of the school administrator who argued against TAHF in the Washington Post, and where was he from.
John Wallace, Georogia
when did a court rule that reading TAHF in school was not psychologically harmful to black children?
1998
When was Gone with the Wind published?
1936
Who wrote Gone with the Wind?
Margaret Mitchell
