Slave Narratives

After reading all those narratives, personally I was very confused. I couldn't understand anything they were talking about. All the narratives seemed to be similiar because of the lanuage. It made it very difficult and made it take longer to read. What I thought was very interesting in all the narratives was that the beginnings seemed to have a lengthy description of the person. Why were those people able to figure out all their background information and Douglass had such a problem? I guess it all depended on how much inforamtion you were given when you were younger because there were some people who didn't know much of their past.

It was interesting to see how different slaves were treated by their masters. Some were treated very nice but worked hard for that or some slaves were treated liek crap and still worked hard. Could you imagine trying your hardest to please someone to be treated with some kind of respect and never getting any?

Incident of the Life a Slave Girl

When I read this narraive, I felt like I was right next to Linda's side through the whole thing. She was so detail and in depth with the content of information she was giving. She makes it easier for the reader to follow along by turning to the reader and directly talking to them. Her narrative was very personal. The second part of the narrative seemed to be more interesting to me than the first.

I think when Linda's reader finds out at the end that she does become free, they are happy, but may become a little confused. Linda is not happy that she has been sold again because she thinks that to be free it does not involved any money especially in a "free state". She has very strong views; which she should, that her freedom is more valuable to her and that it doesn't say much when she has to be sold to retrieve. She is grateful that she has become free, but feels it extremely wrong.

I become disturbed with Linda spending so many years in a little, cramped space for seven years. She really had no connection to the outside world. Could you imagine sitting in this space, with a little loophole to look out at the world? Could you bare to watch your flesh and blood play outside, that you haven't had contact with?

Another significant part of the narrative was when her children are being taken from her. How does someone just take other peoples children away? I didn't fully understand how Mrs. Bruce could allow her child to be taken with Linda. That situation puzzled my mind. In the end, Linda was free and had her children. The connection of family and friends in this narratives was very strong as opposed to Douglass who really had no connection with his family.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

This narrative has alot of information packed into it. Opposed to Fredirkc Douglass's narrative, there is not as much detail. One major part of this narrative that stuck out for me the most so far in it is the power of control a slaveholder has over a slave.

She talks alot about her one master Mr. Flint, and the power that he possess over her. He does not whip her, but becomes angry towards her when she has eyes for another man. On page 483, appears to be the first time that he physically harms her and percieves to be very jealous of this love she has for another man. In sense if he is losing his power of control over her because of anohter man.

At the same time his wife becomes jealous of Linda because of the attention her husband gives to Linda. This part stuck out because it really shows the reader how much control someone had over another human being during slavery, and if something wasn't going the way they like, the master would fix it quick.

Fredrick Douglass

This is very interesting to read slave narratives because can get some kind of an insight on the life of a slave. These narratives are very interesting to read. So far in Fredrick Douglass, I have been very interested in getting to the next page when I read it.

He seems to be able to fit so much information into these first nine chapters that make it alittle bit confusing, but I was able to figure it out. I didn't understand the preface as much as I understood the actually narrative from Fredrick Douglass. Something that I liked about this narrative was the in-depth detail of every person he mentioned. It was easy to in version in my head the storyline because he explained every person and every thing that was occuring.

So far this narrative has really opened the eyes of the reader (well it has had that effect on me anyways) that slaveholder really didn't care about slaves. Even when slaves were obeying they would get punished as well as when doing wrong. People had no care in the world, and were able to just sell other human being to people because they didn't have use for them anymore or they did something wrong. How can someone treat another human being that way? Slavery is such a harsh act.

Something in this narrative that was very postive and made me happy was when he was starting to learn to read and write. Even though his master did not want this to happen, he was able to find a way to do it. It is sad though that he regreted learning it at one point in the narrative because it was getting him into trouble.

I am enjoying this narrative so far and I'm interested to see what happens in farther in to it!

Slavery

Slavery has been presented to me as people taking advantage and controlling other people. It has been portrayed as people having all rights taking away from them and their lives being put in the hands of someone else. It is someone who is not treated right and gets told what to do, and if they don't do it they may get punished.

Everything that I have "learned" about what I "know" about slavery has been conveyed through school and movies that informed me about slavery. All I ever have "learned" or "know" is the dry facts.

I think it is extremely important to make pople aware of slavery, so it doesn't happen again. From the information I have "learned" gives me the reason to think that poeple should learn from the past and not let slavery ever occur again. People need to know.