Difference between revisions of "325--Week 4 Questions/Comments"
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Dew's essay presents the idea of positive reinforcement in regard to slave treatment. His final question proposes two options slaves had. They could resist their masters and actively oppose the system they were a part of in order to gain complete freedom, or they could attempt to maneuver within their limited freedoms in order to earn as much freedom as possible. Knowing slavery's eventual outcome, the question is easier to answer, but how would a slave conceptualize his choices during the height of slavery in the South? For some, I'm sure that resistance was the best option. If you could see no end to your life as a slave, actively opposing your master in order to change your surroundings would have been a good choice. However, Dew shows us that by working with your master, rather than against him, slaves were able to create more agency for themselves. For Dew, any form of freedom (gained by 'overwork' earning pay) was better than none at all. - Lon | Dew's essay presents the idea of positive reinforcement in regard to slave treatment. His final question proposes two options slaves had. They could resist their masters and actively oppose the system they were a part of in order to gain complete freedom, or they could attempt to maneuver within their limited freedoms in order to earn as much freedom as possible. Knowing slavery's eventual outcome, the question is easier to answer, but how would a slave conceptualize his choices during the height of slavery in the South? For some, I'm sure that resistance was the best option. If you could see no end to your life as a slave, actively opposing your master in order to change your surroundings would have been a good choice. However, Dew shows us that by working with your master, rather than against him, slaves were able to create more agency for themselves. For Dew, any form of freedom (gained by 'overwork' earning pay) was better than none at all. - Lon | ||
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| + | Dew's essay brings up many great debates on slave life prior to being granted freedom and many of the answers are not ones that can/were ever answered. It is impossible for any of us to sit here and debate which route we would have taken as slaves since we were never put into slaves shoes and deal with the everyday life that they had to. I agree with Lon, in terms of gaining freedom no matter how you did it would be significant; however, I feel that Dew is correct in saying that overworking and gaining freedom through gaining respect would most likely be the easier way, as well as perhaps more accomplished for the slaves and their owner when being granted freedom.--Marren | ||
This article defiantly shed more light on the concept introduced in Douglass' essay. It can be a good thing to have certain skills as a slave. However, having a skill can not always be a good thing. In this particular article, having a skill really seemed to benefit Dew. I wonder how many other cases were similar to this one? -- Kellye Sorber | This article defiantly shed more light on the concept introduced in Douglass' essay. It can be a good thing to have certain skills as a slave. However, having a skill can not always be a good thing. In this particular article, having a skill really seemed to benefit Dew. I wonder how many other cases were similar to this one? -- Kellye Sorber | ||
