The Slave Dancer: Research Paper “When we were two days on our western course, I heard once again that cry from one of the holds, a woman hair-raising, heart squeezing scream. I had been dancing a group of slaves, and at that terrible sound, Spark signaled me to stop my tune. Not a minute later, a black woman was tossed upon the deck like a doll of rags,” (Fox 51). In the book The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, a thirteen-year-old boy, Jessie is captured and taken on a slave ship. While embarking on a long voyage, he realizes how similar his is lifestyle to the slave’s. Similarly to them, he is punished, eats loathsome food, and is confined to the compacted ship. Aboard the Moonlight Jessie witnesses horrifying behavior towards the helpless …show more content…
“The people of the great vessel were wicked: when we had been shipped, they took away all the small pieces of cloth which were on our bodies, and threw them into the water, then they took chains and tethered two together. Every morning they had to take the man, and throw them into the water,” (First Hand Accounts Case Study). This quote suggests that the crew expressed little sympathy to slaves. This is demonstrated in the novel by Paula Fox The Slave Dancer. Many of the sailors were accurately portrayed by their actions, by throwing slaves into the ocean, flogging, beaten, tortured, and other forms of cruel punishment. “Alexander Falconbridge was a surgeon on slave ships in the 18th century. An abolitionist and governor himself is guilty of all the violent attacks towards slaves. A disgraces to human nature, and profound language were brutal examples sailors often used towards slaves.” ( First Hand; Accounts Study). This is an example of history because many crew members hated slaves, which clearly bleeds through their thoughts and language. In The Slave Dancer the crew’s disgust is shown through their inappropriate phraseology, disregard to the slaves, and acquisitions to the
The Slave Ship, by Marcus Rediker was wrote in 2007 about the cruel and brutal actions the slaves endured on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean. He states, “this has been a painful book to write, if I have done any justice to the subject, it will be a painful book to read.” Marcus Rediker accomplished exactly that. This book was not only compelling but emotional, heartbreaking, and makes a reader think, how could someone be so cruel to another living being. Within the first couple pages, the book brought me to tears.
Name:Conor Corcoran ________________________ Equiano & Falconbridge primary source exercise 1) How are Equiano and Falconbridge similar in describing the Middle Passage? What specific examples are consistent between the two accounts? The brutally of slaves and beating up slaves. How in Equiano the author was talking about how he had never seen so much brutally and mistreatment with slaves and in Falconbridge it talks about how The traders frequently beat those slaves.
The conditions of the ships the slaves were on and the minds of the slaves are detailed most effectively in this first person documentary. Sharing the story of the enslavement and subsequent freedom of the brothers and their probable return to the slave trade gives a better insight into the journey of slavery from the eyes of the enslaved and those doing the enslavement. Sparks story helps the reader understand that the same Africans that were sold as slaves, were also involved in the selling of slaves. He also defends the brothers decision to enslave others explaining that since this was part of their culture, they didn’t know anything else or how to live any other way than to enslave others as they once were
I would recommend the book Benito Cereno to people who are interested in slavery because of the incisive imagery and the brutal cringe-worthy realities of the slaves-gatherings during that era allows the reader to picture the entire plot of the story. The book is narrated by a captain named Delano approaching a boat he became suspicious about because the ship barred no flag so Delano decided to assist the suspicious boat on boarding the bay. Upon Captain Delano’s arrival on the boat, he’s bombarded by the outcries of black and white men about their horrific travels. Delano meets the captain Bonito Cereno and his services are rudely rejected. Delano finally figures that the boat is perpetrated by the slave laborers and Benito is a prisoner.
Douglass uses paradox to demonstrate that slavery degragrates the slaverholder. When Douglass under Mr. Sever’s care he described that: “He was less cruel, less profane… He whipped, but seemed to take no pleasure in it. ”(Douglass 24). Most slaveholders are characterized to be cruel and inhuman because of the whipping and the way they treated the slaves.
Name:Conor Corcoran ________________________ Equiano & Falconbridge primary source exercise 1) How are Equiano and Falconbridge similar in describing the Middle Passage? What specific examples are consistent between the two accounts? The brutally of slaves and beating up slaves. How in Equiano the author was talking about how he had never seen so much brutally and mistreatment with slaves and in Falconbridge it talks about how The traders frequently beat those slaves.
Through his story, Douglass proves that slavery has negative effects on slaveholders. He uses imagery, flashbacks, and characterization to persuade the reader of the true nature of slavery. His deep thoughts and insights of slavery and the unbalanced power between a slaveholder and his slave are unprompted for a social establishment. Douglass insists that slaveholding fills the soul with sadness and bitter anguish. In addressing effects of slavery on masters cause one man to rethink his moral character and better understand the laws of humanity.
First, he describes the attitude and state of the slaveowners to ultimately describe the transition of their mentality toward slavery. Then, he uses several gruesome examples to shows the depth of slavery in the opinion of a slave. Lastly, he talks about the opinions of the slaves and slaveowners
As he shares his experiences he helps the audience feel the shame of being a slave, as every slave had. Douglass talks about Colonel Lloyd’s sons and son-in-laws saying, “All of these lived at the Great House Farm, and enjoyed the luxury of whipping the servants when they pleased… I have seen Winder (One of Colonel Lloyd’s son-in-laws) make one of the house servant stand off from him a suitable distance to be touched with the end of his whip, and at every stroke raise great ridges upon his back” (Douglass 34). Sharing this experience and detail shows how cruel whites were to the
Furthermore, both ideals showcase easing one’s guilt to continue the ruthless treatment of slaves. Dehumanization, the most impactful theme in Douglass’s narrative, provides an image of the horrors of slavery, as the barbarity Douglass experiences while working for Mr. Covey shows how slaves were dehumanized by excessive labor and punishments. Douglass states, “I was broken in my body, soul, and spirit...behold a man turned into a brute” (63). Moreover, the laws involving treatment of slaves showed that many viewed slaves undeserving of basic rights, as “killing a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime” (34). The theme implements readers with the powerful insight that many would be unable to perpetuate the cruelty needed to keep slavery intact without
Barker, Joseph. Interesting Memoirs and Documents relating to American Slavery. London: Chapman, Brother, 1846. Reprinted from a copy in the Negro Collection of the Fisk University Library. Mnemosyne Publishing, Inc., Miami:
The detailed descriptions included in primary sources, along with the descriptive and emotional illustrations included in graphic history are crucial elements in studying and understanding the process and history of the transatlantic slave trade. Rafe Blaufarb and Liz Clarke tie both of these together to help readers truly understand this historic tragedy in the book, Inhuman Traffick: The International Struggle Against the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Although different than the standard book that may be used, that simply spews information out in an uncreative and somewhat boring way, this book is a tool that can be chosen in classrooms to teach different aspects of the slave trade. Working together, the primary sources and graphic history
An American Slave,” Douglass discusses the horrors of being enslaved and a fugitive slave. Through Douglass’s use of figurative language, diction and repetition he emphasizes the cruelty he experiences thus allowing readers to under-stand his feelings of happiness, fear and isolation upon escaping slavery. Figurative language allocates emotions such as excitement, dread and seclusion. As a slave you have no rights, identity or home. Escaping slavery is the only hope of establishing a sense of self and humanity.
Through deep characterization, emotional appeal, and religion, Frederick Douglass shows the readers what negative effects slavery has on the slaveholders themselves. Douglass successfully shows that slavery makes the slaveholder bitter and brings ultimate sadness into their lives. In addressing the harmful effects of slavery on the slaveholders, he makes one reconsider their moral righteousness and better comprehend the difference between humanity and atrocity. Though there are many other ways that slavery could have been harmful to the slaveholder, Frederick Douglass has shown that these ways given were true and has proven that they were indeed negative effects on the
After having read both Frederick Douglass’s Narrative and Harriet Jacobs’s Incident 1. How were Douglass and Jacobs similar and different in their complaints against slavery? What accounts for these differences? In both the inspiring narratives of Narrative in the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Frederick Douglass’s and in Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet Jacobs the respective authors demonstrate the horrors and disparity of slavery in there own ways.