Incidences in the Life of a Slave Girl

Incidences in the Life of a Slave Girl

1. B) This passage is an excerpt from Harriet Jacob’s “Incidences in the Life of a Slave Girl” autobiography published in the mid-1800s. The quote talks about how a slave woman, Linda, gives her side of the story by explaining how slaves had no honor and preferred to willingly give herself to someone else rather than being raped by the slave master. In the excerpt, Linda compares the emotion one feels when presented with a choice of giving oneself without being forced to something like freedom. She believes that it would be a shameful thing to sleep with a married man who has a wife. It is clear that Linda values and respects other people’s marriage regardless of her position as a slave. This is clear in the excerpt when she says, “… the wrong does not seem so great with an unmarried man, as with one who has a wife to be made unhappy.”
2. C) The poem excerpt is a poem by Phillis Wheatly, ’On Being Brought from Africa to America.’ The poem was published in the late 1770s during the slavery era. Phillis illustrates the theme of racism when she refers to how others viewed their race, she says, “… their color is a diabolical die.” In her poem, Phillis believes that all Christians are the same, and no soul is too sinful to be redeemed. She believes that Christianity does not choose races but is instead available to anyone and everyone. Phillis’s conviction is evident when she clearly feels that all black Christians can, “… be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.”
3. D) The excerpt is part of Sojourner Truth’s speech, ” Ain’t I A Woman?” The speech was delivered during a women’s right convention in 1851. Sojourner’s lesson talks about the importance of women’s equality and condemns slavery and oppression. In the excerpt, Sojourner condemns the men who believe that women cannot have equal rights as men. Sojourner believes in the equality of human rights across all genders. According to her, women work as much as men, and there should be no reason for treating them poorly; if anything, women are even more special than men. Sojourner enforces this by repeating the question, “Where did your Christ come from?” Sojourner stood up for the rights of her fellow women since she was also a former slave. Her speech is one of bravery, especially during her ‘era’ when women had no voice in society.
4. E) The excerpt is a stanza in Frances Harper’s poem, “The Slave Mother.” The verse explains the pain and emotional torture that a slave mother goes through when separated from her child. Frances Harper’s poem is melancholic as it expresses the profound feeling of sadness a mother feels when her child is taken away from her, and there is nothing that the mother can do to help her child because she is only a slave. During the slavery era, mothers and children were separated from each other, and most of them never managed to trace back their kindred. In the excerpt, Frances explains how the slave mother’s child was taken away from her arms and how the mother felt as if there was no more hope for her or her child. In the excerpt, Frances appeals to her audience through emotions when she says, “… never more may her sad eyes gaze on his mournful face” this particular line in the stanza explains the sorrow and hopelessness of a mother and her child who are separated from each other with no hope of seeing each other again.
5. J) The passage is an excerpt in an autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass,” that was Fredrick Douglass himself in the slavery era. Fredrick Douglass was also a former black slave. In the excerpt, Fredrick appeals to the readers’ emotions by explaining the feeling of being free from slavery. He further explains the feeling of freedom as one of the bfeelings one can ever experience. According to Fredrick, being free from slavery was like a ‘glorious resurrection from the tomb of slavery to the heaven of freedom.’ Fredrick explains how his lost hope was revived; in his excerpt, he also explains the newfound energy he had to stand up for himself and human slaves’ rights. The passage brings out the theme of bravery and perseverance during the slavery era. The fact Fredrick Douglas was a black slave, and he was able to escape from slavery and make a name for himself among the white community is a pure act of bravery. According to Fredrick, “… the day had passed forever when I would be a slave in fact” this excerpt is a clear depiction of the belief that Fredrick held about the era of slavery.
6. K) The excerpt is from an oral tradition, “Go Down Moses.” The oral tradition was a song that was created by the Negro community during the slavery era. The excerpt is full of symbolism as it was used to symbolize the quest for freedom among the slaves and the abolition of slavery. The passage uses emphasis to express the need and urgency of liberty; this is seen through the repetitive use of the phrase, “Let my people go.” The whole passage is used biblical context to portray the need for freedom of slaves from their oppressors. In the excerpt, Israel symbolizes the African- American slaves in captivity while Egypt symbolizes the Slave owners that tortured the slaves.