Difference between revisions of "Week 10 Questions/Comments"
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I was a bit confused by something in the reading that seemed contradictory. In the author's description of the "Rose William's Story" piece, he explains that it was in a woman slave's self-interest to have children because it increased her value as a slave and thereby diminished the likelihood of her sale and separation from family members. Then in the essay by Thelma Jennings she talks about women who practiced crude methods of birth control and abortion and inducing miscarriages as a form of passive resistance. She explains that this was common in a time when childbirth was dangerous and children could be sold at the master's whim. So which is it? Can it be both? --Alex K. | I was a bit confused by something in the reading that seemed contradictory. In the author's description of the "Rose William's Story" piece, he explains that it was in a woman slave's self-interest to have children because it increased her value as a slave and thereby diminished the likelihood of her sale and separation from family members. Then in the essay by Thelma Jennings she talks about women who practiced crude methods of birth control and abortion and inducing miscarriages as a form of passive resistance. She explains that this was common in a time when childbirth was dangerous and children could be sold at the master's whim. So which is it? Can it be both? --Alex K. | ||
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| + | The pros and cons of childbirth were weighed differently by different women. While one woman might view having a child as extra security, another might view childbirth, especially in the case of breeding, as further oppression. Forcing pregnancy on a woman against her will is a violation of the inalienable human right to choose your sexual partner, so some women would silently rebel through birth control methods. Although most women could not prevent a forced sexual encounter, they could, to some degree control the fate of that encounter. To successfully survive, a woman needed to learn how to exert some control over her future. As Alex pointed out, the method of control varied with the experience of the woman. | ||
Its interesting to see the distinction between religious life of slaves and free-blacks. Rose Williams stated, "Church? Shucks, we-uns don't know what that means." Whereas for Mary Still, organized religion is a big deal. It was also interesting to see how "A Colored Woman" calls people slaves -slaves to their hard hearts. Although I think her condemnation of many who seem apathetic is maybe a bit out of place. Those free-blacks probably had a pretty good sense that their freedom was not necessarily set in stone, and if by some unfortunate circumstance they were to be enslaved, I don't think there would have been much of an investigation. At the same time, her sense of urgency and power, though, are probably necessary to get people to act. -Chris Plummer | Its interesting to see the distinction between religious life of slaves and free-blacks. Rose Williams stated, "Church? Shucks, we-uns don't know what that means." Whereas for Mary Still, organized religion is a big deal. It was also interesting to see how "A Colored Woman" calls people slaves -slaves to their hard hearts. Although I think her condemnation of many who seem apathetic is maybe a bit out of place. Those free-blacks probably had a pretty good sense that their freedom was not necessarily set in stone, and if by some unfortunate circumstance they were to be enslaved, I don't think there would have been much of an investigation. At the same time, her sense of urgency and power, though, are probably necessary to get people to act. -Chris Plummer | ||
In Sarah Haynesworth Gayle’s diary I wonder what “excessive indulgences” she was referring to that had made her slaves lazy, full of complaints, and defensive. Sarah later blames her parents for her slaves disobeying her twenty-five years later because as a child her parents prevented her from abusing them. When Sarah describes how she was unfairly treated by her parents compared to the slaves she sounds like a child who is jealous of an older sibling. Sarah Gayle also seems to have less control over her life than other women we’ve read about. For instance in another diary entry she writes about being too afraid to ask her husband where they are going to move and seems to accept the fact that he will make the decision without her input. -Caitlin Quinn | In Sarah Haynesworth Gayle’s diary I wonder what “excessive indulgences” she was referring to that had made her slaves lazy, full of complaints, and defensive. Sarah later blames her parents for her slaves disobeying her twenty-five years later because as a child her parents prevented her from abusing them. When Sarah describes how she was unfairly treated by her parents compared to the slaves she sounds like a child who is jealous of an older sibling. Sarah Gayle also seems to have less control over her life than other women we’ve read about. For instance in another diary entry she writes about being too afraid to ask her husband where they are going to move and seems to accept the fact that he will make the decision without her input. -Caitlin Quinn | ||
