Blog # 5

1. What were the implication of the system of slavery for southern white and black women?

There were some similarities differences of the system of slavery for southern white and black women. The white women were allowed to get married and move out from their parent’s houses. Even though the white women were treated a little better and had more freedom than the black slaves, they did not have a distinguished life. They were jealous of the young black slaves who were having forced relationship with their men. When it comes to black slave women, they were considered their masters’ properties. They were not allowed to get married. The black slave women were sexually abused by their masters and have children from them. They had to deal with working hard as labors and being raped at the same time by their masters.

2. What is the significance of the story of Harriet Jacobs for our understanding of slave women’s experiences? (pp. 166-167 “Trials of Girlhood”)

The significance of Harriet Jacobs’ story is that her life story helps us to picture what many other slaves experienced in their lifetime. Her extraordinary story helps us to have a better understanding of slave women’s experience. This devastating story helped me to realize what kind of difficulties, violence, and insult the slave women had gone through. Harriet Jacobs was sexually harassed by her master at the age of twelve. She says, “He was a crafty man, a resorted to many means to accomplish his purpose” (p. 166). Harriet was not the only one in this horrible condition. Many other slave women were victims of these kinds of physical and emotional violence, which lead them to hate and be disgusted by their owners. However, Harriet Jacobs was brave enough to escape from her master and fly to the South with her daughter to find a better life.

Textbook document ( Chapter 3 pp. 175-181)

1. How did characters in these two accounts reject and resist the assumptions about black people fundamental to the slave system? On what personal resources did they draw to make their challenges?

The characters in these two accounts had very difficult experiences. I the first story we can see what Ellen and her husband went through by escaping from slavery in order to have freedom. Because Ellen was white (she was a child of black slave woman and her white master) and she was able to turn herself into a men, they were able to escape. She had to act like a white men who was the master of her husband that was black. So, the color of her skin made it easier for them to be able to escape. Their biggest challenge was their belief in God and belief in Success.

The second story is about the Love story of slaves. The idea of this story is that the slave owners were able to control the love lives of their slaves. The strength of their mind and love were the resources that drew these black slave lovers to make their challenges.

2. Both of these stories were written after the fact: the Crafts’ ten years following the emancipation and Polly Shine’s after about seven decades. Evaluate the role memory plays in these accounts, and consider the ways in which it distorts or possibly authenticates the narrator’s experiences.

Both of these stories are very remarkable because these stories were written several years after the fact. The experiences that the characters in both of these stories had were unforgettable. I think Crafts’ story is accurate even though it was written ten years following their experience. I don’t think that William and Ellen would ever forget all the terrible difficulties they had gone through in order to have freedom. When it comes to Polly Shine’s, I think that time is a significant element. It is very significant that Polly at the age of ninety, was able to remember what happened seven decades before. I think that her story is quite accurate. However, there might be some small details that she is missing because of such a long time passed.