Difference between revisions of "Week 4 Questions/Comments"
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I found "Landon Carter Complains About His Female Slaves, 1771-1773" in Major Problems page 82 & 83 rather shocking for many obvious reasons. Beyond this, the disparity between the treatment of African women and white women of the period is frightful. While colonial women may have had little power, it pales in comparison to the hopelessly bleak situation of the African female. I am sure that cowkeeping was not commonly thought to be a female task of the period. This task, along with many others, also carried the promise of whipping for failure. Based on the writing, it seems to be believe that whipping was the only cure for "poor" behavior. The same ideals of female submission were also applied with greater force, illustrated in the writing "The mother and sister fell on Beale when he went to apply my Prescription; but by the stumps of the switches they got also cured of their rebellious impudence..." (MP 83) It was with slavery that the submission of a race, especially with a focus to the women, was to be furthered. --Robert Kopp | I found "Landon Carter Complains About His Female Slaves, 1771-1773" in Major Problems page 82 & 83 rather shocking for many obvious reasons. Beyond this, the disparity between the treatment of African women and white women of the period is frightful. While colonial women may have had little power, it pales in comparison to the hopelessly bleak situation of the African female. I am sure that cowkeeping was not commonly thought to be a female task of the period. This task, along with many others, also carried the promise of whipping for failure. Based on the writing, it seems to be believe that whipping was the only cure for "poor" behavior. The same ideals of female submission were also applied with greater force, illustrated in the writing "The mother and sister fell on Beale when he went to apply my Prescription; but by the stumps of the switches they got also cured of their rebellious impudence..." (MP 83) It was with slavery that the submission of a race, especially with a focus to the women, was to be furthered. --Robert Kopp | ||
| − | This is in response about Landon Carter’s account of cowkeeping. Unfortunately, we don’t know the whole story as to why Sicely neglected her task. We only have Landon Carter’s account of the ordeal. Thus we are looking at this situation through the eyes of Landon Carter. How do we know if he didn’t manipulate or exaggerate this account to his benefit? May be he cried when his cow died. Perhaps Sicely had better things to do with her time than to cowkeep. Landon Carter did mention that she took a nap, perhaps she had a late night gathering of friends and relatives as this was the only time | + | This is in response about Landon Carter’s account of cowkeeping. Unfortunately, we don’t know the whole story as to why Sicely neglected her task. We only have Landon Carter’s account of the ordeal. Thus we are looking at this situation through the eyes of Landon Carter. How do we know if he didn’t manipulate or exaggerate this account to his benefit? May be he cried when his cow died. Perhaps Sicely had better things to do with her time than to cowkeep. Landon Carter did mention that she took a nap, perhaps she had a late night gathering of friends and relatives as this was the only time she could exert her freedom and her individuality from the day’s mindless tasks. Or maybe she was simply defiant to authority and paid no mind to her tasks regardless of the punishment. This may be her way to exert her freedom at the cost of getting the whip. I wish I could read her account of this situation maybe it would shed more light about her perceptions of slavery, her feelings and doubts and insecurities then we would have the overall picture instead a one sided view of an Elite.—John Furner |
