== Angelina Grimké Weld, 1839, “The Cruel Mistress” ==

== Angelina Grimké Weld, 1839, “The Cruel Mistress” ==

I think it's interesting Angelina Grimke Weld, when referring to the abuse of the Cruel Mistress towards her house servants, points out that this woman had no shame in the abuse towards them.  Weld goes on and on about these horrible atrocities of the abuse and stated throughout this piece that this mistress was a respectable Christian women.  This made Weld as an abolitionist stand out as only a few.  The abuse of slaves was accepted and probably expected in order to remain in control of them in the eyes of a slave owner.  This slave holder without a doubt probably made a spectacle to make sure the slaves remained obedient.  This female mistress seems extremely temperamental.  The pious and vulgar language used against her slaves was likely her attempt to make sure they knew she was above them in every manor -race, class, and possibly better in Gods eyes as well.  I am curious to know how they thought God looked at a black person, did they think God perceived them as they did? -Marsha Himes

I think it's interesting Angelina Grimke Weld, when referring to the abuse of the Cruel Mistress towards her house servants, points out that this woman had no shame in the abuse towards them.  Weld goes on and on about these horrible atrocities of the abuse and stated throughout this piece that this mistress was a respectable Christian women.  This made Weld as an abolitionist stand out as only a few.  The abuse of slaves was accepted and probably expected in order to remain in control of them in the eyes of a slave owner.  This slave holder without a doubt probably made a spectacle to make sure the slaves remained obedient.  This female mistress seems extremely temperamental.  '''The pious and vulgar language used against her slaves was likely her attempt to make sure they knew she was above them in every manor -race, class, and possibly better in Gods eyes as well.  I am curious to know how they thought God looked at a black person, did they think God perceived them as they did?''' -Marsha Himes

I think it is interesting that this woman is such a paragon of virtue according to upper society and she is kind and generous to the poor but cannot see what a tyrant she is toward her slaves. It is also interesting to see a woman who id depicted in a cruel light. They are supposed to be the kinder gentler sex and here she is committing atrocities toward her slaves. It is an abuse of power and yet because they are property she cannot see it as such. I am sure that women all over the south commited cruel if not crueler acts then their husbands. Women sometimes are much crueler then men so I am sure they thought of new ways to punish their slaves all the time. - LeAnn Taggart

I think it is interesting that this woman is such a paragon of virtue according to upper society and she is kind and generous to the poor but cannot see what a tyrant she is toward her slaves. '''It is also interesting to see a woman who id depicted in a cruel light. They are supposed to be the kinder gentler sex and here she is committing atrocities toward her slaves. It is an abuse of power and yet because they are property she cannot see it as such.''' I am sure that women all over the south commited cruel if not crueler acts then their husbands. Women sometimes are much crueler then men so I am sure they thought of new ways to punish their slaves all the time. - LeAnn Taggart

Slavery obviously had a serious emotional and psychological impact on slaves, and the Grimké reading shows how slavery could impact whites. In the case described here a woman is cruel and abusive, faultfinding, and prone towards emotional outbursts that could be extended beyond her slaves and onto her family. There’s also the matter of hypocrisy in being accepted by the community as a good Christian in spite of these vicious faults. However, I’m curious what kind of psychological effects slavery had on men and woman of the South who did not believe in slavery, rare as they were, but who witnessed its horrors. Angelina says “one who is a slaveholder at heart never recognizes a human being in a slave (217).” But people like the Grimké sisters saw human beings, and constantly witnessing violence done to others can be quite a harrowing experience. -- Taylor Brann

'''Slavery obviously had a serious emotional and psychological impact on slaves, and the Grimké reading shows how slavery could impact whites.''' In the case described here a woman is cruel and abusive, faultfinding, and prone towards emotional outbursts that could be extended beyond her slaves and onto her family. There’s also the matter of hypocrisy in being accepted by the community as a good Christian in spite of these vicious faults. '''However, I’m curious what kind of psychological effects slavery had on men and woman of the South who did not believe in slavery, rare as they were, but who witnessed its horrors. Angelina says “one who is a slaveholder at heart never recognizes a human being in a slave (217).”''' But people like the Grimké sisters saw human beings, and constantly witnessing violence done to others can be quite a harrowing experience. -- Taylor Brann

One thing that I was not quite sure about in this article was who slavery was doing the most damage to.  While the the descriptions of the beatings of the slaves did make me feel for them, it seemed to me that the point of the article was to show how bad slavery made the slave-owning women become.  Were the descriptions of the punishments that the slaves faced more horrendous due to the fact that a women was administering them?  Would this writing have been less effective if it had described a slave-owning male?  -John Rowley

One thing that I was not quite sure about in this article was who slavery was doing the most damage to.  While the the descriptions of the beatings of the slaves did make me feel for them, it seemed to me that the point of the article was to show how bad slavery made the slave-owning women become.  '''''Were the descriptions of the punishments that the slaves faced more horrendous due to the fact that a women was administering them?  Would this writing have been less effective if it had described a slave-owning male?'''''   -John Rowley

I like the question that John brought up in his post, I think that Angelina Grimke purposely depicted a slave owning female as opposed to male. At least in my opinion it seemed like it would be more shocking to Northern women to read of the cruelty being administered by their southern counterparts. I think her story might have been less shocking if she had depicted a tale of a cruel master. I noticed that the husband (if he existed) of the mistress in question was not mentioned during the story. Beating and whipping definitely appeared as punishments that would be associated with male slave owners and not mistresses.I was horrified that a supposedly gentile woman could administer such terrible beatings. It is much easier as the reader to conjure up an image of an evil slave owner not of his wife. -Emma Peck

I like the question that John brought up in his post, I think that Angelina Grimke purposely depicted a slave owning female as opposed to male. At least in my opinion it seemed like it would be more shocking to Northern women to read of the cruelty being administered by their southern counterparts. I think her story might have been less shocking if she had depicted a tale of a cruel master. I noticed that the husband (if he existed) of the mistress in question was not mentioned during the story. Beating and whipping definitely appeared as punishments that would be associated with male slave owners and not mistresses.I was horrified that a supposedly gentile woman could administer such terrible beatings. '''It is much easier as the reader to conjure up an image of an evil slave owner not of his wife.''' -Emma Peck