Dehumanization Of Slavery - 745 Words

Slavery was the backbone of the American economy for much of the 19th century. The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney created a surge in the need for slavery in America. The cotton gin was created by Whitney to actually decrease the need for slaves by separating the cotton seeds from the cotton but, his invention only rapidly increased the demand for slaves. Even the anti-slavery advocates participated in the popularity and demand for slavery. Slavery is indescribably horrendous. The horrors of this dehumanization and abuse cannot even begin to be described fully, and yet Harriet Jacobs does her best to explain slavery from her perspective in her novel Incidents In The Life of a Slave Girl. Jacobs demonstrates the dehumanization†¦show more content†¦That to be safe and live her son had to leave her. That a womans children must leave her to run a dangerous path to freedom to hopefully become free and live, is horrendous. Mothers should not have to send their children to the dangerous trek to have their children live. â€Å"I began to think that escape was impossible† (Jacobs 83) Jacobs escaped from Dr. Flint because they were trying to place more control of Jacobs by selling her children. This shows how women’s children were not their own in this system but, the property of the master. Jacobs rejected this and Dr. Flint’s control of her by going into hiding to protect her children. The destruction of families is one of the most horrendous wrongs done to enslaved peoples. A woman’s body, especially a black woman’s body was seen as lustrous and objectified in the 19th century. Black women who were seen as objects already by being enslaved, were used to please white males sexual pleasures. â€Å"Much greater wrong against the helpless young girl placed under his guardianship†(Jacobs 32) Jacobs is referring to Mr. Flint and his aggression regarding her sexually and her guilt that was associated with this. This brings to light the emotional abuse enslaved women went through. Dr. Flint offered Jacobs to be a â€Å"lady† for her services that her prostituting herself would give her more freedom as a slave. Enslaved women rarely had the choice to choose between being used sexually or not. Black women at this time wereShow MoreRelatedDehumanization Of Slavery In Frederick Douglasss Narrative Of Life1354 Words   |  6 Pagesof chattel slavery. The issue of slavery in America was not as easily thought as black and white. Mostly, people in the North were opposed to slavery, while the South promoted it. However, many people were indifferent. People in the North could see slavery as neither good nor bad, instead a way of Southern life. Frederick Douglass, knowing the North was home to lots of abolitionists, wrote his narrative â€Å"Narrative of Life† in order to show indifferent people in the north to see slavery as the shamefulRead MoreSlavery and Dehumanization in Toni Morrison’s Beloved Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesThe atrocities of slavery know no bounds. Its devices leave lives ruined families pulled apart and countless people dead. Yet many looked away or accepted it as a necessary part of society, even claiming it was beneficial to all. The only way this logic works is if the slaves are seen as less than human, people who cannot be trusted to take care of themselves. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved the consequences of a lifetime of slavery are examined. 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However, at the same time, many people were unconcerned with this heated topic and needed to be persuaded to join the fight against slavery. Northern citizens may have seen the practice slavery as neither good nor bad, but just part of Southern life going o n for hundreds of years. Frederick Douglass, a slave who had escaped to theRead MoreHistory, Origin And Race Of The African Culture1339 Words   |  6 Pagesundergo through. From slavery to the Trans-Atlantic trade to colonization of the African countries one can unfold a deep history that lies along. I have taken interest in studying and learning Africana studies not because I come for Nairobi, Kenya but because I want to grasp and comprehend the hidden, unknown, overlooked and underappreciated history of the African continent and its people. For this paper I will focus on slavery mainly the dehumanization of slaves. 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However, many people were indifferent. Citizens in the North may have seen slavery as neither good nor bad, but just a fact of Southern life. Frederick Douglass, knowing the North was home to many abolitionists, wrote his narrative in order to persuade these