Textbook Chapter 6
1. How were women’s experiences of immigration in the United States distinct from those
of men? How were they similar?
The women’s experiences were different then the experiences of the men because, most foreign women as in non-white, non-Christian women were considered as prostitutes. The American government did not want them to come to America and populate America with foreigners. Also they did not want the foreign women to destroy the morality of the American society. Asian women had to answer so many questions before they can get into the country and be able to live here. The main reason for the interrogations was to make sure that these women were not prostitutes. Men were able to easily come into this country because, they were able to work. The men were also not being accused or suspected of being immoral. The similarities were between the white women immigrants and the men. The main similarity was that they both endured a hard voyage to America and also were easily accepted into this country compared to the Asian women. But that is where their similarities end. Because one difference was that when unwed, unchaperoned women arrived to this country. There was the risk of her becoming a prostitute, because of other people convincing them and forcing them to become prostitutes.
2. How would you characterize the differences among women involved in industrial protest,
the populist movement, and the settlement house movement? Do you see any similarities?
The similarities that was there among the women involved in the industrial protest, the women involved in the populist movement, and the women involved in the settlement house movement was that they all were fighting for women’s rights. The differences among the women involved in the industrial protest, the women involved in the populist movement, and the women involved in the settlement house movement was that they all fought differently and for slightly different reasons. The different reasons were, for the women involved in the industrial protest was to get normal and fair working conditions and paychecks. For the women involved in the populist movement was to get the same jobs as men. As in that they were able to work side by side with men in other jobs besides the jobs that were considered to be female jobs. For the women involved in the settlement house movement was to help immigrant women and immigrant children to learn about the American culture and way of life.
Textbook Document Chapter 6
1. What is the “diversity of experience” that Addams witnessed in her work with immigrants in the neighborhood around Hull House, and how did it contribute to the ethical complexities about which she wrote?
The "diversity of experience" that Addams witnessed in her work with the immigrants in the neighborhood around Hull House was that neighbors would help one another out when someone needed help. The reason that the neighbors would help one another out was because they all were in the same situation. So they would help others assuming that the others would help them out when they would need help themselves. Then there were the people who say how the high class lived and would want to live like them. So they begin to not help their neighbors in order to save money and become rich. It contributed to the ethical complexities about which she wrote by showing how there were people that would help others even though they were in similar situations as the people who needed help. Also how there were people that would in effect turn their backs on the people who needed their help in order to survive themselves and be able to live like the high class.
2. How did Addams’s experience as a member of the path breaking generation of women college graduates affect her perspective as a settlement house volunteer?
Addams’s as a member of the path breaking generation of women college graduates affected her perspective as a settlement house volunteer by several ways. One of the ways was that she realized that the college graduate charity visitor did not have any form of experiences that these women had in order to help them out and give them good advices and care. Another way was that the parents depended on their children to take care of them when they become to old, or injured to work and provide for their family. The other way is that only the healthy, able to work poor were to receive help by charity visitors.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Blog #8
Textbook Chapter 5
1. What were the most significant developments in women’s wage labor in the late
nineteenth century? How did they affect working-class, middle-class, and elite women?
The most significant developments in women's wage labor in the nineteenth century was that it gave the ground work for women's working rights. Now women were choosing to work in factories, making garments instead of working in the agricultural field. The only women who were working in the agricultural field were the newly freed black southern women. The working class women mostly were working in factories where they were making garments. But that work was soon turning into a sweat shop. The upper-class woman's job was basically to spend her husbands money. As in they had to decorate their houses with elegant and expensive furniture from Europe. Throw lavish parties. Basically their job was to show off their husbands wealth. The middle-class women did the same as the upper-class women but only at a more moderate level. As in they would cut down on their costs but they basically still bought the good furniture and threw similar parties as the upper-class women.
Textbook Chapter 6
2. What is the importance of the images on page 345 for understanding Native American women’s experience during the era of western consolidation?
The importance of the before and after pictures on page 345 for understanding the Native American women's experience during the time of western consolidation was that even though these girls were put in a boarding school and forced to sit in chairs, dress like the white women, and behave like white women. That still did not take the sad look out of their faces. Even though they used these pictures as ways to show that their methods were successful. It was not. Because as much as they were dressed and behaving like white women. They still did not really understand or know how to read, write. They just portrayed it, as if they knew those things. This also showed how, white men could not except other cultures and beliefs. That the only way and right way to be is to be like the white people.
Textbook Document Chapter 5
1. What different sorts of women does Bessie Van Vorst meet in the factory, and how and why do their responses to their work vary?
The different types of women Bessie Van Vorst meets in the factor are the bread-winner, semi-bread-winner, and also the woman who works for the luxuries of life. Each type of women were different in the sense of how their work varied from one another. The bread-winner is the women who works to support her family. As in she is the one who is bringing a paycheck home to pay the bills, buy food and clothes for her family. The semi-bread-winner is the women who helps with supporting her family. As in she is not the only one who earns a paycheck. This is pretty much what we have now in our times. As in it is a household when the wife and husband both have jobs to support their household. And the last of the different type of women Bessie Van Vorst met was the women who worked for the luxuries of life. As in she did not need to work, but she still did, so she can buy herself expensive clothes, jewelry, etc....
2. Why does Van Vorst conclude that working women are passive in accepting their working conditions and unwilling to stand up for themselves in the way of working men? Do you think she is right?
Bessie Van Vorst concluded that working women were passive in accepting their working conditions and were unwilling to stand up for themselves in the way of working men, because they were afraid that they would lose their jobs. As in since they were making some money they did not want to risk what little of a paycheck they got. Most of these girls were the bread-winners and since they had to support their families, they did not want to risk being fired from their current job. The other type of girls were the semi-bread-winners and they also did not want to risk losing their jobs. They did not want to lose their jobs for the same reasons as the women who were the bread-winners. Bessie Van Vorst is right in that they were afraid of losing their job and that is why they were passive. Even though they were not treated right and were treated unfairly, they preferred to stay with their jobs, just so that they can be able to support their families as much as they can.
1. What were the most significant developments in women’s wage labor in the late
nineteenth century? How did they affect working-class, middle-class, and elite women?
The most significant developments in women's wage labor in the nineteenth century was that it gave the ground work for women's working rights. Now women were choosing to work in factories, making garments instead of working in the agricultural field. The only women who were working in the agricultural field were the newly freed black southern women. The working class women mostly were working in factories where they were making garments. But that work was soon turning into a sweat shop. The upper-class woman's job was basically to spend her husbands money. As in they had to decorate their houses with elegant and expensive furniture from Europe. Throw lavish parties. Basically their job was to show off their husbands wealth. The middle-class women did the same as the upper-class women but only at a more moderate level. As in they would cut down on their costs but they basically still bought the good furniture and threw similar parties as the upper-class women.
Textbook Chapter 6
2. What is the importance of the images on page 345 for understanding Native American women’s experience during the era of western consolidation?
The importance of the before and after pictures on page 345 for understanding the Native American women's experience during the time of western consolidation was that even though these girls were put in a boarding school and forced to sit in chairs, dress like the white women, and behave like white women. That still did not take the sad look out of their faces. Even though they used these pictures as ways to show that their methods were successful. It was not. Because as much as they were dressed and behaving like white women. They still did not really understand or know how to read, write. They just portrayed it, as if they knew those things. This also showed how, white men could not except other cultures and beliefs. That the only way and right way to be is to be like the white people.
Textbook Document Chapter 5
1. What different sorts of women does Bessie Van Vorst meet in the factory, and how and why do their responses to their work vary?
The different types of women Bessie Van Vorst meets in the factor are the bread-winner, semi-bread-winner, and also the woman who works for the luxuries of life. Each type of women were different in the sense of how their work varied from one another. The bread-winner is the women who works to support her family. As in she is the one who is bringing a paycheck home to pay the bills, buy food and clothes for her family. The semi-bread-winner is the women who helps with supporting her family. As in she is not the only one who earns a paycheck. This is pretty much what we have now in our times. As in it is a household when the wife and husband both have jobs to support their household. And the last of the different type of women Bessie Van Vorst met was the women who worked for the luxuries of life. As in she did not need to work, but she still did, so she can buy herself expensive clothes, jewelry, etc....
2. Why does Van Vorst conclude that working women are passive in accepting their working conditions and unwilling to stand up for themselves in the way of working men? Do you think she is right?
Bessie Van Vorst concluded that working women were passive in accepting their working conditions and were unwilling to stand up for themselves in the way of working men, because they were afraid that they would lose their jobs. As in since they were making some money they did not want to risk what little of a paycheck they got. Most of these girls were the bread-winners and since they had to support their families, they did not want to risk being fired from their current job. The other type of girls were the semi-bread-winners and they also did not want to risk losing their jobs. They did not want to lose their jobs for the same reasons as the women who were the bread-winners. Bessie Van Vorst is right in that they were afraid of losing their job and that is why they were passive. Even though they were not treated right and were treated unfairly, they preferred to stay with their jobs, just so that they can be able to support their families as much as they can.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Blog #7
Textbook
1. What divided the women of the North and South in the years immediately before and during the Civil War?
The North and South women were divided before and during the Civil War, because of slavery. As in now that slavery was being abolished from the South. Southern women were trying to get used to the idea of running things on their own. As in they did not have anymore slaves to do the chores of the house and land for them. In the North the women were getting together to start fighting for equality. They would pursue higher education. The other reasons for the women to be divided was because the slaves were trying to get freedom. This caused a division between the southern and northern women. The northern women were for the slaves to get freedom. The southern women were against the slaves to get freedom.
2. What impact did the emergence of the “New South” have on women?
The impact that the emergence of the "New South" had on women was more for the black women. Because now that they had freedom, they could choose what job they wanted to do. They had their own home. They got paid for their services. Also they were free to choose anything they wanted for their lives and not have owners who made the choices for them. So this was viewed as a good thing by the black women. But on the other hand this was viewed as a bad thing by the white southern women. The reason it was viewed as a bad thing by the white southern women was because, now there was no one to do work that the slaves used to do. If they wanted people to do those works they had to pay them to do it. So now the white southerners were forced to find a way to get workers to do the jobs that the slaves did but at the same time not to pay to much for their services.
Textbook Document
1. What were the underlying tensions and larger conflicts that led to the lynching of Thomas Moss?
The underlying tensions that led to the lynching of Thomas Moss was that the whites did not want any blacks to have their own businesses. The larger conflicts that led to the lynching of Thomas Moss was that his grocery store was competing with a white man's grocery store.
Since the white man not only did not want to have competition in his line of work. He also had a problem with black people. So he got his advantage when some kids both white and black were playing a game and the white kids lost. So now the white people started a rumor saying
how they were going to go to Moss's store and steal and destroy everything. When Moss and his partners heard this they put guards at the store. When the time came for the white men to steal and destroy Moss's store. The guards shot at them. So now that all the black men were in jail, the white man went to the jail and identified Moss and his other partners as the one's who were guilty. That is how Moss was lynched. That is also how the white man was able to get rid of not only his competition but some black men who he hated.
2. What was the prevailing opinion about lynching that Wells was determined to challenge?
Wells was determined to challenge the opinion that these men were lynched because they either killed a white man or raped white women. She showed that there was no proof that those allegations were true. She was exiled from her home after she published that article. The reason
for that was that she hit to close to the truth. That even though white men are constantly having sex with and raping black women and get away with it. While a black man has sex with a white women and he is lynched. She was also basically saying that the lynchings were happening to
tell the black men to stay away from the white women. Also because the white men did not like the idea of thinking that the white women were immoral or adulteresses instead they would prefer thinking that the black man raped their white woman.
3. What did Wells see as the relationship between the long history of white men raping black women and the charges against black men of raping white women?
Wells thought that the relationship between the long history of white men raping black women and the charges against black men of raping white women as hypocritical. As in while they are doing the things that they are charging against the black men. But they are not getting
punished, while the black men are being killed. She also thinks that this was a way for the white men to have some power over the black men. As in since the black men were considered as free and citizens. Also that they were considered equals. This did not go so well with the white
men who did not think that black men should be free, a citizen, or be even remotely considered an equal to a white man. So they thought of ways that they can make the black men still feel inferior and scared of the white men.
1. What divided the women of the North and South in the years immediately before and during the Civil War?
The North and South women were divided before and during the Civil War, because of slavery. As in now that slavery was being abolished from the South. Southern women were trying to get used to the idea of running things on their own. As in they did not have anymore slaves to do the chores of the house and land for them. In the North the women were getting together to start fighting for equality. They would pursue higher education. The other reasons for the women to be divided was because the slaves were trying to get freedom. This caused a division between the southern and northern women. The northern women were for the slaves to get freedom. The southern women were against the slaves to get freedom.
2. What impact did the emergence of the “New South” have on women?
The impact that the emergence of the "New South" had on women was more for the black women. Because now that they had freedom, they could choose what job they wanted to do. They had their own home. They got paid for their services. Also they were free to choose anything they wanted for their lives and not have owners who made the choices for them. So this was viewed as a good thing by the black women. But on the other hand this was viewed as a bad thing by the white southern women. The reason it was viewed as a bad thing by the white southern women was because, now there was no one to do work that the slaves used to do. If they wanted people to do those works they had to pay them to do it. So now the white southerners were forced to find a way to get workers to do the jobs that the slaves did but at the same time not to pay to much for their services.
Textbook Document
1. What were the underlying tensions and larger conflicts that led to the lynching of Thomas Moss?
The underlying tensions that led to the lynching of Thomas Moss was that the whites did not want any blacks to have their own businesses. The larger conflicts that led to the lynching of Thomas Moss was that his grocery store was competing with a white man's grocery store.
Since the white man not only did not want to have competition in his line of work. He also had a problem with black people. So he got his advantage when some kids both white and black were playing a game and the white kids lost. So now the white people started a rumor saying
how they were going to go to Moss's store and steal and destroy everything. When Moss and his partners heard this they put guards at the store. When the time came for the white men to steal and destroy Moss's store. The guards shot at them. So now that all the black men were in jail, the white man went to the jail and identified Moss and his other partners as the one's who were guilty. That is how Moss was lynched. That is also how the white man was able to get rid of not only his competition but some black men who he hated.
2. What was the prevailing opinion about lynching that Wells was determined to challenge?
Wells was determined to challenge the opinion that these men were lynched because they either killed a white man or raped white women. She showed that there was no proof that those allegations were true. She was exiled from her home after she published that article. The reason
for that was that she hit to close to the truth. That even though white men are constantly having sex with and raping black women and get away with it. While a black man has sex with a white women and he is lynched. She was also basically saying that the lynchings were happening to
tell the black men to stay away from the white women. Also because the white men did not like the idea of thinking that the white women were immoral or adulteresses instead they would prefer thinking that the black man raped their white woman.
3. What did Wells see as the relationship between the long history of white men raping black women and the charges against black men of raping white women?
Wells thought that the relationship between the long history of white men raping black women and the charges against black men of raping white women as hypocritical. As in while they are doing the things that they are charging against the black men. But they are not getting
punished, while the black men are being killed. She also thinks that this was a way for the white men to have some power over the black men. As in since the black men were considered as free and citizens. Also that they were considered equals. This did not go so well with the white
men who did not think that black men should be free, a citizen, or be even remotely considered an equal to a white man. So they thought of ways that they can make the black men still feel inferior and scared of the white men.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Blog #6
Textbook
1. What were the different kinds of experiences that particular groups of women had as the United States expanded west to the Pacific Coast?
The different kinds of experiences that Native American women had as the United States expanded to the Pacific Coast were that, their food source was destroyed. The reason their food source was destroyed, was because the white settlers came onto their land and settled where they started to do their own farming. While the white settlers were traveling to the west they went through the lands where the Native Americans lived they burned down the food storage. The Native American women were afraid that the white men would come there and harm them and their babies. The Native American women who ended up being with the white men were left by their lovers when their lovers ended up marrying white women. So since the Native American women were not accepted by the whites or by their own people, they ended up being servants for the white women settlers and prostitutes for the white men. The different kinds of experiences that Mexican women had as the United States expanded to the Pacific Coast were that, at first the white men would marry Mexican women, because they hold a lot of land in
California, but after a while they changed the laws where instead of the women being able to have more rights like they did by Mexican laws, they changed it to the white man's law which was that men had more power. Towards the end Mexican women were deserted and treated like the Native American women which was that they became either servants, or prostitutes.
2. What kinds of historical developments brought American women into reform activities in the antebellum years?
The kinds of historical developments that brought American women into the reform activities in the antebellum years were religious and moral reform. These made women to get involved in society and gain more rights. The moral reform was established by pious women to fight against
the uprising of alcohol, prostitution, and anything that was considered a sin during those times. There was also the health reform where they developed other health facilities for women where they used different methods to help women who had problems with their health. They also started the abolition. This was a religious movement to abolish the law of having slaves. That it was considered a sin to allow slavery. The reforms also helped women who were in abusive marriages. A religious group that was started by the radical Christian notions is the Mormons. The Mormons practiced polygamy, which people say did not change the way women felt about their marriages.
Textbook Document
1. Maria responds to the strangers she encounters with both fear and curiosity. About what is she curious? What is the source of her fear and how does Maria exhibit or conceal her reaction?
Maria is curious about the strangers she encounters, because she is curious how the white men can find anyone they want, and get the things they want. So she is curious on if she can fool them and not let them find Chavez at her home while she is hiding him from the white men. Her fear is the same thing that she is curious about. She is afraid of these white men, because of what power they hold that they would imprison her brothers and they would harm her if they found out she was hiding Chavez. She conceals her fear by taking control of it as in using the strength, the adrenalin rush the fear gives her to plan how to bring Chavez to her home. Where to hide him. Who can see him and know about him. Then to convincingly hide him when the white soldiers are searching her home. Then to disguise him and send him to his next destination. This showed how strong she was that she hid her fear and used her fear to satisfy her curiosity in hiding someone from people who were able to find anyone they wanted to find.
2. What is the source of strength that Maria draws? How does the absence of men affect the way she acts?
The source of strength that Maria draws from is her fear and belief in what the man who helped her bring Chavez to her house said. Her fear helps her by giving her the strength and adrenaline rush she needs to accomplish what she accomplished during that time. The absence of men in her life affected the way she acted by making her be courageous enough to plan all this on her own. Even though she did go to her imprisoned brothers to get some semblance of what she should do. She used that to draw strength in her belief that she can do this. The significance of seeing her brothers was also for her anger towards the white soldiers would come out and give her another burst of energy and strength. Especially since the event happened when she had just had a baby and I am sure during those times they did not have the same medical treatments as we do now. So she was probably not fully recovered yet.
1. What were the different kinds of experiences that particular groups of women had as the United States expanded west to the Pacific Coast?
The different kinds of experiences that Native American women had as the United States expanded to the Pacific Coast were that, their food source was destroyed. The reason their food source was destroyed, was because the white settlers came onto their land and settled where they started to do their own farming. While the white settlers were traveling to the west they went through the lands where the Native Americans lived they burned down the food storage. The Native American women were afraid that the white men would come there and harm them and their babies. The Native American women who ended up being with the white men were left by their lovers when their lovers ended up marrying white women. So since the Native American women were not accepted by the whites or by their own people, they ended up being servants for the white women settlers and prostitutes for the white men. The different kinds of experiences that Mexican women had as the United States expanded to the Pacific Coast were that, at first the white men would marry Mexican women, because they hold a lot of land in
California, but after a while they changed the laws where instead of the women being able to have more rights like they did by Mexican laws, they changed it to the white man's law which was that men had more power. Towards the end Mexican women were deserted and treated like the Native American women which was that they became either servants, or prostitutes.
2. What kinds of historical developments brought American women into reform activities in the antebellum years?
The kinds of historical developments that brought American women into the reform activities in the antebellum years were religious and moral reform. These made women to get involved in society and gain more rights. The moral reform was established by pious women to fight against
the uprising of alcohol, prostitution, and anything that was considered a sin during those times. There was also the health reform where they developed other health facilities for women where they used different methods to help women who had problems with their health. They also started the abolition. This was a religious movement to abolish the law of having slaves. That it was considered a sin to allow slavery. The reforms also helped women who were in abusive marriages. A religious group that was started by the radical Christian notions is the Mormons. The Mormons practiced polygamy, which people say did not change the way women felt about their marriages.
Textbook Document
1. Maria responds to the strangers she encounters with both fear and curiosity. About what is she curious? What is the source of her fear and how does Maria exhibit or conceal her reaction?
Maria is curious about the strangers she encounters, because she is curious how the white men can find anyone they want, and get the things they want. So she is curious on if she can fool them and not let them find Chavez at her home while she is hiding him from the white men. Her fear is the same thing that she is curious about. She is afraid of these white men, because of what power they hold that they would imprison her brothers and they would harm her if they found out she was hiding Chavez. She conceals her fear by taking control of it as in using the strength, the adrenalin rush the fear gives her to plan how to bring Chavez to her home. Where to hide him. Who can see him and know about him. Then to convincingly hide him when the white soldiers are searching her home. Then to disguise him and send him to his next destination. This showed how strong she was that she hid her fear and used her fear to satisfy her curiosity in hiding someone from people who were able to find anyone they wanted to find.
2. What is the source of strength that Maria draws? How does the absence of men affect the way she acts?
The source of strength that Maria draws from is her fear and belief in what the man who helped her bring Chavez to her house said. Her fear helps her by giving her the strength and adrenaline rush she needs to accomplish what she accomplished during that time. The absence of men in her life affected the way she acted by making her be courageous enough to plan all this on her own. Even though she did go to her imprisoned brothers to get some semblance of what she should do. She used that to draw strength in her belief that she can do this. The significance of seeing her brothers was also for her anger towards the white soldiers would come out and give her another burst of energy and strength. Especially since the event happened when she had just had a baby and I am sure during those times they did not have the same medical treatments as we do now. So she was probably not fully recovered yet.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Blog #5
Textbook
1. What were the implications of the system of slavery for southern white and black women?
The implications of the system of slavery for white and black women in the south were that the white women considered themselves as slaves. They considered themselves as slaves because unlike their husbands, who hired other people to manage their slaves. They had to oversee to the house and the slaves that worked in the house. The black women slaves had to actually do all the work. They either worked in the fields or in the main house. They were often beat, abused to do the work the way their owner wanted them to. The white women could not make themselves to abuse the black women slaves, because at the time it was not proper for a white woman to be violent or near violence, so they would ask their husbands, brothers, or fathers to do the abusing for them.
2. What is the significance of the story of Harriet Jacobs for our understanding of slave women’s experiences? (pp. 166-167 "Trials of Girlhood")
The significance of Harriet Jacobs story is to show people how because of their captivity and their masters, young girls are made to learn about evil at a very young age. That even if they had no choice to become their owners mistress, the owners wives would blame them, be even meaner and abusive because they are jealous. This showed that if you were a slave woman and that you were considered beautiful then you were not going to have even the least amount of good life that other slaves had. Because you would be raped by your owner and your owner's wife will punish you for sleeping with her husband. You would think that the owner's wife will understand that it is not the slave's fault but her husband's fault. That instead of getting angry at the slave she should be angry at her husband. But then during those times a women had no right to get angry at her husband no matter what. So it is understandable how she would get her anger out on the slave, even though it is wrong.
Textbook document
1. How did characters characters in these two accounts reject and resist the assumptions about black people fundamental to the slave system? On what personal resources did they draw to make their challenges?
The characters in these two accounts rejected and resisted the assumptions about black people by telling their stories. The first story was told by William Craft. Now instead of dictating his story to an interviewer he waited til he can write it on his own. Well during this time slaves were not allowed to know how to read or write. This showed that black men and women did know how to read and write. Also that they can learn to read and write. The second story was told by Polly Shine but not written by her. She was ninety years old when she did an interview about her life. The first story was about William and Ellen Craft escaping the south. The second story was about Polly Shine telling about a couple who was in love but was not allowed to be together.
2. Both of these stories were written after the fact: the Crafts’ ten years following the emancipation and Polly Shine’s after about seven decades. Evaluate the role memory plays in these accounts, and consider the ways in which it distorts or possibly authenticates the narrator’s experiences.
The role of memory plays a big part in these accounts. The Crafts memory is of them experiencing their escape. It helps them describe what they saw, and experienced while they were escaping from the south. Memory plays a big part in Polly Shine's story, because she was telling the interviewer about what she saw at the plantation. Also about what her parents told her. All these came from their memories. It mainly authenticates their experiences, because they themselves experienced it. With the Crafts it was their escape. With Shine it was her life as a slave. With Shine her recalling of the story about the couple that her parents told her might have changed a little through time. That is normal because when a story is being told to someone then that someone tells it to someone else things will be changed, exaggerated.
1. What were the implications of the system of slavery for southern white and black women?
The implications of the system of slavery for white and black women in the south were that the white women considered themselves as slaves. They considered themselves as slaves because unlike their husbands, who hired other people to manage their slaves. They had to oversee to the house and the slaves that worked in the house. The black women slaves had to actually do all the work. They either worked in the fields or in the main house. They were often beat, abused to do the work the way their owner wanted them to. The white women could not make themselves to abuse the black women slaves, because at the time it was not proper for a white woman to be violent or near violence, so they would ask their husbands, brothers, or fathers to do the abusing for them.
2. What is the significance of the story of Harriet Jacobs for our understanding of slave women’s experiences? (pp. 166-167 "Trials of Girlhood")
The significance of Harriet Jacobs story is to show people how because of their captivity and their masters, young girls are made to learn about evil at a very young age. That even if they had no choice to become their owners mistress, the owners wives would blame them, be even meaner and abusive because they are jealous. This showed that if you were a slave woman and that you were considered beautiful then you were not going to have even the least amount of good life that other slaves had. Because you would be raped by your owner and your owner's wife will punish you for sleeping with her husband. You would think that the owner's wife will understand that it is not the slave's fault but her husband's fault. That instead of getting angry at the slave she should be angry at her husband. But then during those times a women had no right to get angry at her husband no matter what. So it is understandable how she would get her anger out on the slave, even though it is wrong.
Textbook document
1. How did characters characters in these two accounts reject and resist the assumptions about black people fundamental to the slave system? On what personal resources did they draw to make their challenges?
The characters in these two accounts rejected and resisted the assumptions about black people by telling their stories. The first story was told by William Craft. Now instead of dictating his story to an interviewer he waited til he can write it on his own. Well during this time slaves were not allowed to know how to read or write. This showed that black men and women did know how to read and write. Also that they can learn to read and write. The second story was told by Polly Shine but not written by her. She was ninety years old when she did an interview about her life. The first story was about William and Ellen Craft escaping the south. The second story was about Polly Shine telling about a couple who was in love but was not allowed to be together.
2. Both of these stories were written after the fact: the Crafts’ ten years following the emancipation and Polly Shine’s after about seven decades. Evaluate the role memory plays in these accounts, and consider the ways in which it distorts or possibly authenticates the narrator’s experiences.
The role of memory plays a big part in these accounts. The Crafts memory is of them experiencing their escape. It helps them describe what they saw, and experienced while they were escaping from the south. Memory plays a big part in Polly Shine's story, because she was telling the interviewer about what she saw at the plantation. Also about what her parents told her. All these came from their memories. It mainly authenticates their experiences, because they themselves experienced it. With the Crafts it was their escape. With Shine it was her life as a slave. With Shine her recalling of the story about the couple that her parents told her might have changed a little through time. That is normal because when a story is being told to someone then that someone tells it to someone else things will be changed, exaggerated.
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