Harriet Jacobs,
One of the
most striking moments in the reading, by far, is the mention of hiring day on
January 1st, the sudden transition that would occur on January 2nd, and the
unfortunate series of violent events that would be carried out should one dare
to speak out or express hesitance towards their new "massa." With
confidence, it can be said that most individuals have a basic understanding of
the dark horrors of slavery, but the vivid details that are provided in the
autobiography, though often difficult and saddening to read, really work to
illustrate the everyday life of a variety of individuals, which I find
necessary to fully grasp slavery. Certain parts of history find themselves
being sanitized and taught from limited perspectives, but reading of the mother
forced to part with her children and the elderly woman abandoned after decades
of hard labor was a great way to pay tribute to the often forgotten women of
the past. Furthermore, the disparities in celebrations of holidays between
Whites and Blacks is something that has been mentioned multiple times
throughout history by many individuals, most notably Frederick
Douglass. But for some reason, the reading reminded me of the fact that
many policies put in place around the Antebellum period have contributed to the
economic, social, and political disparities that continue today.
Alexa, thank you so much for writing about this passage. We will discuss this in class and I hope that you will talk about why it was striking to you. This passage is very powerful in expressing the horrors of slavery in a way that Jacobs hoped Northern white women could understand. We can guess that Jacobs hoped that the juxtaposition of the vast differences in the experiences of white mothers and enslaved mothers on New Year's Day might create a sense of sympathy for enslaved women.
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