Wednesday, January 14, 2015

What argument (implied and explicit) does Jacobs make against slavery? Refer to passages.

In the third chapter of Jacobs’s narrative “The Slaves’ New Year’s Day,” Jacobs implicitly and explicitly states her views against slavery.  At the beginning of the chapter, Jacobs uses a more objective tone when describing the normal events that occur on the slaves’ typical New Year’s day which is hiring day in the South:  the slaves are taken to the trading grounds and are expected to go with their new masters.  Jacobs details the beatings that ensue if a slave is unwilling to go with his master.  These details imply that Jacobs has negative feelings towards slavery.  Towards the end of the chapter, Jacobs abandons her objective tone and makes a plea to the audience:  “O, you happy free women, contrast your New Year’s day with that of the poor bond-woman!”  In this plea, Jacobs makes it clear that she feels the difference between the lives of slaves and free persons is unjust.  Throughout the narrative, Jacobs weaves in and out of implicit and explicit disagreement with slavery.

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