Unit III - Blog III/Slave Narratives Part I
More recently, we've discussed this concept, "sense of duty." We easily identified this in Frederick Douglass' narrative, but our discussion was brief. Therefore, I'd like us to continue along this line of thought. How do you think Douglass is defining "duty?" Please elaborate in your comments. And, is this "duty" or the idea of "duty" problematic in other slave narratives? Finally, where is this "duty" evident in our society today?
Due: Fri., 11/9/18 by the beginning of class.
Douglass is defining duty as a self dedication. If we look anywhere we would see it as a resolution. However, In Douglass's narrative this would be an Overseer committed to acts of cruelty. The duty described is self prescribed. The duty could be seen in page 360 when Frederick Douglass describes how his fellow slaves and himself weren’t given enough food to eat by their Master Thomas. The duty however was carried out by the mistress. Douglass wrote “A great many times have we poor creatures been nearly perishing with hunger, when food in abundance lay mouldering in the safe and smoke-house, and our pious mistress was aware of the fact”. What killed me when it came to their self dedicated cruelty was that each morning the same master and mistress would “pray that God would bless them in basket and store”.
ReplyDeleteThis same duty is evident in the Narrative of Solomon Northrup in the District Court of Columbia and the authorities in New York. After having been stolen into slavery for twelve years. After finally gaining freedom again Northrup attempted to have the slave auctioneer who sold him in Louisiana punished but the courts in D.C. wouldn’t allow the testimony of a black man against a white man in court. This man the courts were protecting by their actions, sold a free man into slavery despite his protests and would have him beaten for speaking him. A duty to cruelty was fulfilled by the courts in the District of columbia.
The duty is still be fulfilled today by law enforcement initiatives that target and terrify children and teens of color. One of the more memorably terrifying strategies was stop and frisk. Police stated that to protect poorer and blacker neighborhoods they had to keep a constant inspection of the residents going. In reality children and teens would be stopped near their homes, lined against walls, and threatened with arrest or injury to have their bodies grasped and grabbed.
What killed me is same the people who are some of the worst at carrying out their "duty" are the same people who refused to go after the men who Kidnapped Solomon Northrup from his family. People believed the narrative but they wanted to uphold their laws so bad they refused to carry out any form of punishment against these men who robbed another free man of the freedoms they enjoy. New York state has been disappointing black people for years.
DeleteI completely agree with your statement. The fact that the law officers use their s"sense of duty" as a way to prey on the people who are completely defenseless against them, makes it worse, and the victims know they can't fight back because they know that if they try to fight back that will not only make the situation worse but give the abuser an excuse for why he or she acted the way they did.
DeleteThe sense of duty that is seen and described in the passages read are duties that repeatedly exemplify cruel, harsh, and unusual punishment. The many people who felt as though they had a sense of duty to enact were in many cases the Master's, Mistresses, and Oversees. This is explained to us in the Douglass narrative where he mentions his overseer Mrs. Gore and how he was a cold man who rarely smiled, for he would do his job and that would be all, in one situation Mr. Gore shot a man in cold blood after giving him a warning and a three second countdown. His reasoning for doing so was explained as the slave was rebellious and could possibly turn the other slaves bad and cause trouble for his plantation. This is an example of a "sense of duty" being exercised because in the overseer's and master's eyes it was his sense of duty to therefore kill the man to prevent any outbreak of slave rebellion. This same concept and method is still used today in the police system for many officers and media outlets because after a shooting of a young black man by a police officer the two will try and paint a picture of how the victim "deserved" to die because he used to do something either illegal or could be seen as bad in the eyes of not only the media but America. For in other words the cop was just doing his duty by killing the innocent man for he was preventing any type of "malicious" activity that could have possibly taken place.
ReplyDelete-Kirah McAllister
DeleteI thought the same thing in class. The reasoning the overseer used directly paralleled with both law enforcement and our judicial system since even if a person of color makes it trial they still lose their life behind a separate punishment or in our times case long prison sentences.
DeleteI liked how you used the example of the overseer and tied it directly to today. Its devastating to think that so many of our people have to die because of their inability to coexist with us without hatred and greed.
DeleteI agree with you about Mr.Gore . He felt that only way to "tame" an insubordinate slave was to kill him and set a example. His "sense of duty" is what helped him decided to take this action to punish the slave.
DeleteI agree! You can almost see this "trickle down" effect? The way that the affects of slavery are still very evident in Black communities, is the same way that we can easily draw the parallels from those institutions that were in power during slavery and our INjustice system today. As in the times of slavery and Jim Crow, they find it to be their undying civic duty to protect themselves from our mere existence. Even if that means harassment, causing bodily harm or just outright murder as we see with Mr. Gore and many many many white people today.
Delete^^^Jasmine Howell
DeleteDouglass is defining duty as an all-around consuming commitment not to the practice but to oneself. The masters, mistresses, and overseers made it their duty to point out that they are the authority. The overseer, Mr. Gore, his sole purpose was to be an overseer. He went to bed thinking about punishing slaves and when he woke up those were his first thoughts. Douglass takes time to describe this man and how his demeanor was cold yet his acts were nothing short of “savage barbarity.” We’ve spent time in class discussing how along with this “sense of duty,” there is an underlying layer of sadomasochism. Because the punishments these masters and overseers dish out, it’s to punish the slave but it’s also to pleasure themselves. This is especially evident in chapter 1 when Douglass talks about Mr. Plummer and Aunt Hester’s punishment. In our society we see this “sense of duty” when we see people in positions of power and influence. Police officers are taught to deescalate the situation, there have been countless incidents when an innocent person of color was shot and killed and didn’t have to be. Then outlets in the media search high and low to justify the killings, which then leads to our justice system, not doing much to obtain justice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about the police and their excessive use of "authority", and the media outlets who cover it up. The scary thing about it is that they hide behind the " I was fearing for my life," statement and then its like nothing happened. They are the Largest group of people, to me, that take advantage of their authority. It's also heartbreaking that we are desensitized by the murders that are committed by the police here in America.
DeleteI never quite thought about it that way, great point!
DeleteBased off of Douglass's narrative and other readings, I think slave owners were just empowered psychopaths who were allowed to commit these violent acts against slaves simply because the law permitted it. This sense of duty to control wasn't for the betterment of society, but simply to allow a certain group of individuals to be more in control. I feel like many prosecutors who abuse their sense of duty today crave power because they want to carry on the tradition of keeping blacks weak minded.
DeleteI completely agree with the point you made about the overseer and his sole purpose being to establish his authority no matter the circumstance and or methods needed to be taken, for I also felt the same way and saw how in the reading he would exercise his "sense of duty" on numerous occasions.
DeleteAn "all around consuming commitment" is a great way to describe the overall meaning of what was considered to be their "duty". I completely agree.
DeleteI believe that Douglass is defining duty as a sense of authority. You can look at various situations throughout the world and find that when certain people are put in a position of authority they are more than likely to abuse their power. Someone who is weak minded and has never really had a sense of importance in their lives, once handed even the smallest ounce of power, will take whatever they can get and run with it. Like we discussed in class, the mistress does not have to life a finger whatsoever and probably never will. Most everything that is going on in her household she has control over except for husband who is raping and impregnating slaves. Now, she knows for a fact that she cannot stop her husband, but because she has this "authority" over the slaves, she can do what ever she pleases when it comes to the abuse that's inflicted. I believe that is what Douglass is referring to when speaking on a "sense of duty".
ReplyDeleteTo me, this "sense of duty" is problematic in today's society when dealing with the law enforcement. Again, to me, I believe that the police, and many white Americans have began to criminalize Black men at such a young that they now believe that exterminating them before they are legally considered an adult is a job requirement.
I agree with you that because the mistress has this "authority" over the slaves, she can do whatever she pleases. The mistress also displays her sense of authority when she spit in the food scraps so that way the slaves would not want to touch it.
DeleteI Agree. I’m glad you didn’t only point out the men, but the wrong doings of the women as well. It’s sad that someone who is thought to be innately nurturing could be so cruel to people the way that was described in the narratives. However, like you said once someone has not had something they are apt to exerting it everywhere and any kind of way.
DeleteDouglas defined a sense of duty as dominance. The overseer, mistress, and master were all obsessed with showing the slaves who was stronger, smarter and overall who was in control. The mistress showed her dominance by making the slaves see, smell , and serve food while they were starving. If the slaves even had a taste of food that was not intended for them there would be grave consequences. The overseer and master showed their dominance by severely beating the slaves into submission. The mistress, overseer, and master all showed their dominance by breaking the slaves down mentally and physically. Today, the police show their "sense of duty" or dominance by threating African American men with prison. They also make examples of beating black men unrecognizable or murdering them. The police are carful not to make examples of black men too often or it may be mistaken as racism.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the fear that slaves had for slave masters corresponds to the fears that blacks have towards police enforcement today. This is due to this sense of duty set by the slave institution, and carried on through countless acts of racial discrimination. It's a form of psychological control passed from generation after generation, and this is why we still see these power hungry prosecutors who use their positions to wrongfully suppress innocent blacks.
DeletePolice will also tend to justify their wrongdoing so people will not mistake it for racism. In the movie The Hate U Give , the police officer tried to justify his action by expressing that he was protecting himself. He thought a brush was a gun behind the black man's back.
DeletePersonally i believe the police force is just a way of joining a organization to legally antagonize blacks or minorities. Many times police are often worried about whats happening in urban neighborhoods and with blacks civilians. But when its time to clock out, go to their homes where they reside in a completely different sides of town. Which is why o believe they just join these jobs, so they can cause chaos in these neighborhoods because they know thats where many blacks reside.
DeleteI think that following blind orders or duties in the way that overseers (sometimes Black overseers) would, is the way that a lot of crimes and awful heinous atrocities have been committed in our country and many other countries over time. We could argue that slavery was basically a long, drawn out genocide, in the same way as the Holocaust. We have angry, vengeful leaders and shamefully obedient followers. Douglass illustrated that duties can be corrupt. They can be born corrupt or become corrupted over time.
Delete^^^Jasmine Howell
DeleteI think Douglas is defining duty as a mechanism used to justify the motives of those who purposely sought out to oppress slaves. This can be seen in from Mr. Goore who used a number of harsh tactics against slaves in order to spread fear and maintain control. After slaves witnessed the horrors that he would bring on a slave, they were scarred with this "blood memory", which basically gave Goore their full obedience simply out of fear. This sense of duty can also be seen in "Luke's story" from Jacob's narrative. Luke was constantly being tortured by his overseer and master to keep him obedient out of fear. Unfortunately, his overseer gained pleasure from these twisted acts, which somewhat adds a sense of power lust to this definition of duty. Referring to Ava DuVernay's "The 13th", prison systems are basically modern day slave institutions where thousands of blacks are forced to serve time, some for minor infractions enforced solely to target people of color. These prosecutors, in my opinion, follow this definition of duty which was etched hundreds of years ago by the slave system. It may not be as extreme today, although in some cases there have been acts of outright abuse by these prosecutors, but there is still a sense that police misuse power by using duty to justify wrong doings towards blacks.
ReplyDeletehttp://jefflandfield.com/uncategorized/the-13th-documentary-my-thoughts/
https://mic.com/articles/94604/this-moment-should-be-the-absolute-last-straw-for-americans-tired-of-police-brutality#.PIv17XOU4
Frederick Douglass defines duty as supremacy. The masters, mistresses, and overseers who were "superior" to the slaves made it their duty to strike fear into them. Captain Anthony "seemed to take great pleasure in whooping a slave." The mistress spit in the food scraps so that the slaves wouldn't touch them. Mr. Plummer was known to "cut and slash the women's head off so horribly, that even master would be enraged..." As we discussed in class, these experiences left behind blood memories. This idea of duty is problematic in Equiano's narrative when he describes his experiences on the salve boat. White people tortured slaves who believed death was a better option, in order to reestablish their sense of superiority. This idea of duty is still prominent today. On November 1st, 2018 Melissa McKinnies found her son's body swinging from a tree. As retaliation against McKinnies activist work in the community, white people lynched her son to make it known that they are still "in charge."
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment about blood memories. The white man/women were so obsessed with their "sense of duty" that they had to embed their control into the slaves mind through blood memory.
DeleteI believe after the discussions in class - every time I think of how one of these people from the narratives take that much pleasure in whipping slaves, I think of the eroticism in the act and just how twisted their minds were to enjoy what they were doing.
DeleteMr plummer, like Mr Goore inflicted a lot of torture of the slaves bodies and minds making them very weak an vulnerable . because they did this it made the slaves fear that if they did not work what torture wold be placed upon them, And many times even death .
Deletei agree with this as well , the white man always wanted to control slaves using any form of tatic especially through blood memory
DeleteI believe that Frederick Douglass defines "duty" not only as something that is a career for slave drivers/masters but something that they are. There is no sense of separatism between who these men are when they are handling slaves on the job and when they lay their heads down at night. There is no facade when doing their job - for example Mr. Gore - and we do not see a difference in their countenance or behavior when they return to the comforts of their own homes. There is no distinction between how they love their wives or husbands or children and how they are a polar opposite with slaves. Their behavior is WHO THEY ARE and there is no deciphering what is left if the duty was to be stripped away because they have become the hate that they exude. One of the other narratives - the story of Equiano - spoke of similar behavior as well, like when he accidentally killed the old slave woman's chicken and he was beaten harshly for it. The sense of duty was also demonstrated when he witnessed how another slave woman was bound in iron contraptions so she could not speak and still was forced to cook for the house. This sense of duty made whites believe that it was not just a desire or a right but a responsibility/obligation that they had to fulfill by "disciplining" or torturing slaves for the smallest troubles or offenses. There are plenty of ways that this sense of duty is still prevalent in our society. It shows itself in the murdering of our innocent black children, men, and women in and outside prisons. It angers me when I see documentaries and hear stories about people like Kalief Browder who was brilliant in his own right yet held and tortured in Rikers for years over being accused of stealing a bookbag -ultimately commiting suicide - or Sandra Bland who was murdered in jail by police officers and staged for mugshots like she was still alive. It angers me because that sense of "duty" shows up when white people feel it is up to them to call the police on their next door neighbors because they had a cookout or "looked suspicious" in their own neighborhoods or when they walk up to black men and women and question them about what they are doing, why, and where they live. The sense of duty shows up when Colin Kaepernick couldn't play football after kneeling during the National Anthem in protest to what our people are going through. It shows up when I even walked in a gas station alone and couldn't afford a snack and while walking past the door to replace the item, was stopped and asked what I was doing and why I had to walk near the door. This sense of duty has not disappeared, it has only changed its presentation based on social changes and what is now either acceptable or unforgiving.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you separated the thought of it being something that they were doing with who they are. I agree that this was who they were as a people. During that time most people didn’t have a self-thought. People during that time to me, were weak and due to their weakness they held on to their sense of authority so strongly that it became them.
DeleteFredrick Douglas defines duty as control, or white supremacy . His thoughts on duty seem to be nothing more then whites false purpose & ruling or authority. Douglas reference slaves chores and responsibility as two ways blacks excersise their so called duty. Becoming servants to the white superior master, and mistress. Because this, there was a false assumption set on the slaves that the jobs they were doing were their actual jobs and only means for survival. Many slaves were either afraid of the punishment that could be inflicted on them if they did not obey with the jobs they were given. This would Eventually cause blood memories in many of the slaves . Making many of the slaves terrified of the possible punishments or torture they could receive. An example of this would be the cruel and unusual punishment Mr Goore inflicted on his slaves for pleasure. Goore used pain and torture to mentally and physically break down his slaves. He believed by beating and torturing slaves he would be able to control a small population of people with the aspect of fear. This same tactic is used a lot in todays world by ways of law, jobs, and political movements. However instead of inflicting harm to provide the duty, whites use more phycological war-fare to opress black people. Instead of hanging or beating kids, Police kill, harass, and target innocent black men and communities. The world has not forgotten racism and racial supremacy, but more or less hidden it in plain sight, making it almost impossible to stop.
ReplyDeleteNajeeah Ford
ReplyDeleteI believe Fredrick Douglass is defining “duty” in terms of the violent acts that those in power of the slaves were obligated to carry out. It is no secret that slaves, were subject to intense beatings and rapes at the hands of those who had these positions. The main purpose of these violent acts were to “control” the slaves. Violence was used to instill fear into slaves in order to keep them submissive. I often hear the saying that the “system was not designed for us”. This bears lot of truth because we still see this violence (against blacks) in various forms today.
In 2018, the police are being exposed more than ever for thier violence torward black people. I believe that some (not all) officers feel like it is thier “duty” to terrorize blacks because we have been targets since the beginning of this nation. White supremacy is taught, and ingrained into our judicial systems, politics, education and various institutions ultimatley used to “oppress” and “control” blacks.
~ Najeeah Ford
Fredrick Douglass clearly defines the so called "duty" of his white oppressors as he elaborates on the day to day horrors inflicted upon the black slave. Story after story of ruthless treatment at the hands of white masters shines a light on the idea of maintaining power through these unspeakable acts against the black race. This so called "duty" is indeed problematic, not so much for the whites, but more so in reference to the black slave. Seeing how this method of control is considered to be the white man's "God given right", the concept of "anything goes" is deemed appropriate. In that same respect, although at a lesser level, the same is to be said today. Countless news headlines come to mind about white americans contacting law enforcement because they feel "uncomfortable" or "targeted" by a black individual. The irony in this is that the black man/woman feels targeted constantly, as the constraints and strongholds of the cruelty of slavery still manage to bleed into the trajectory of society today.
ReplyDeletei agree with this right here , even with them just walking or even sitting there white people still seen black as a potentail threat , and not as a regular human being
DeleteI agree, definitely about the mistress. She didn’t like the simple fact that her husband was having sex with slaves(raping) and was getting them pregnant. She used her authority/power to make hell for whoever just for the simple reason she was jealous she couldn’t give her husband what he wanted, along with being mad cause it would be a slave woman he would have his encounters with.
ReplyDeleteFrederick Douglas juxtaposed the notion of “duty” with oppression, authority, and the unjustified acts of the whites of his time. In many instances he speaks of times where inhumane acts were done against the slave man/woman for no other reason than that they wanted to do it. Furthermore, they would confirm their sense of superiority with religion saying it was their “God-given right.” These acts we’re done as a way to strip away the autonomy of the slave, no longer allowing them to feel as though they had any free choice, but we’re instead expected to live in fear. For instance, Mr. Gore in the narrative of Douglas is said to have went to bed thinking about inflicting pain upon the slaves, and woke up and the same thoughts would cloud his mind. Mr. G belief being that control would only come from fear. In today’s society, there is police brutality to display similar fundamentals of “duty.” Much like during the times of Douglas white people continue to believe in their “superiority.” The ramifications of slavery live on through our government, police forces, schools etc. Each of these things are used to continue to target and disenfranchise black and not brown bodies throughout their lives. Education is used to strip one of their own history, the government as a way to keep us in a lower space, and the police force to control us as a people. Douglas’ notion of duty was never simply a act but the mindsets of many people. Sadly, these ideas were passed and continue today.
ReplyDelete- Jasmine Howell
ReplyDeleteDouglass, through his personal narrative is defining duty in multiple ways. I do not think that he gives the "sense of duty" one, succinct definition, but illustrates them for us through the actions of those in his environment. It appears, to me, that the overarching message was simply that "absolute power corrupts, absolutely" and that one can be dutiful in a corrupt sense. For example, Mr. Gore that comes onto the plantation when Douglass was a young child. Douglass describes him as "proud, ambitious and persevering" but also "artful, cruel and obdurate." Not only was Gore's name a metaphor for the duties of the overseer, but he himself embodied everything that is problematic with this concept of blindly obeying and carrying out orders in the name of DUTY. This idea of duty has reared its head in other slave narratives. In the Incidents In the Life.... narrative, we see duty in the form of sexual obligation and abuse. Though I'm sure slave women would not exactly use the word "duty", the ways in which Jacobs described the often unavoidable threat of sexual servitude as a female slave, I would go out on a limb and categorize that as a duty as well.
In our society today, we have too many examples of this blind sense of duty. Some examples off of the top of my head would be the Trayvon Martin story. As we have seen often times throughout history, Black bodies still pose a great danger to others for simply existing in society. This sense of duty is highlighted when "others" (non-blacks) feel the need to protect themselves or others from our mere presence. There are so many examples just like this that follow the age-old tale of when a "sense of duty" and a corrupt moral compass are combined.
I believe Fredrick Douglas used the term "sense of duty" , a sense of authority. Back then Master, Mistress and overseers where allowed to enforce their authority towards the slaves for punishment and pleasure. Rather it may be rational or out of hate. The punishment was still unneccessary. Same as the world today how police, law enforcement. Tend to use their power in a negative way. Mainly our community tends to suffer from. What sense of duty do you fulfil when taking lives away, what message does that send off. Fear. When the masters/overseers felt threaten by the slaves they use their authority to be cruel and outrageous. Psychopaths in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThese past “senses of duty” are definitely still portrayed in our society today. Things have changed and gotten better, but it is still the goal of many whites to keep African Americans at a certain level and to remind them that they will never be the “superior ones”.
DeleteDouglass is defining “duty” as a sense of justification and superiority. For example, with Mr. Gore. Mr. Gore was very, and because of his harshness, this created fear within the slaves. Also, because Mr. Gore could do whatever he pleased, it also let the slaves know, that he was in control and not them, he was superior. With the slaves seeing him as superior, and the trauma creating a “blood memory” within them, of course they were going to cooperate, because Mr. Gore had instilled the fear of God within them. To the slave masters and overseers, violence was the only way to gain control. We also see this in Harriet Jacobs slave narrative when she, with so much detail, describes the story of Luke. How do people like to watch slaves get beat, and then fill joy in their hearts as their beating them? Beating them until they are physically exhausted and still, that’s not enough! We also see this duty with beautiful black females in slavery. Because they are so beautiful, it is their fault somehow, and then they are raped because of something they cannot control. But by raping them, the slave masters have nothing but control over them. This “duty” is definitely evident within police brutality, and unarmed black males getting killed from someone who is supposed to be protecting them. How are we seen as the threat when they have been gaining pleasure from these acts sense slavery times?
ReplyDeleteThis sense of "duty" is described by Douglass as this sense of never ending commitment. He alludes to this sense of duty several times when speaking about his most cruel overseer, Mr. Gore. One thing that I noticed while reading the text is that there was never any mention of Gore's family, or who he was outside of being an overseer. With Mr. Gore in particular, there is no separation between who he is and being an overseer. He is committed to policing the slaves and punishing them if he believes they have stepped out of line. This sense of duty is indeed problematic. It can be seen in some of the other narratives that we've been asked to read, in different form. One that stuck out to me in particular was , "From Incidents in the life of a slave girl." The sense of duty is subtly touched on in several parts of this text through Jacob's description of her own form of body autonomy and being stalked by her slave master. It is no secret that it was a common practice for slave masters to rape and impregnate many of their women slaves. "Soon she will learn to tremble when she hears masters footfall," was what she used to describe learning that as a girl who is enslaved it is somewhat your fate to be used by your slave master sexually. Jacobs recognizes that sense of duty early on in her childhood, and somewhat has her own duty to essentially give herself away sexually to someone else and get pregnant so that she does not get taken advantage of. Even after being freed her former slave master does everything in his power to ensure that she doesn't feel free by stalking her. She is no longer in his possession, but his sense of "duty" will not allow him to let her go. This idea of "duty" can be seen today through our law enforcement and our judicial system. We see so many stories of black people getting killed during what was supposed to be a normal traffic stop. After the black person is killed the media does everything in it's power to portray that person as criminal, all so that it wont seem so bad that they got killed. The sense of duty ties back into the system because on the rare occasion that the person who did the killing is indicted, they hardly ever get convicted. They basically put the person who was killed on trail, and try to make them plead their case as to why their life was worthy of some type of justice. Laws enforcement officers and judges see themselves as having a duty to keep criminals off the street. Although, most of the time these decisions are based on race , they use the criminal narrative in a conscience effort to protect their sense of duty.
ReplyDelete--Paige Parker
I believe that Frederick Douglass referred to “duty” as committing to something that one believes in. Everyone has a role and duty in the system and each role is different. Further, everyone’s “duty” is different when it comes to what their belief is. During this horrible time, many whites felt that it was their duty to continuously oppress Blacks and make their lives a living hell. They were committed and this was their form of service. As awful as it sounds, they were so dedicated to this way of life and this form of oppression and supremacy that they did it is described as their “sense of duty”, which to me sounds like it was a sense of accomplishment. They liked how they had form this unfair system and would do whatever it took to keep things as they were.
ReplyDeleteThe true definition of duty is “a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility” or “a task or action that someone is required to perform”. In the minds of the “superior”, it was there responsibility to keep this way of life. There actions were a requirement to uphold the lives that they wanted. To them, they believed that this severe and horrible treatment towards African Americans were there absolute right and they supported it through their faith, their true belief. But in reality, they were forming any religious meanings or sayings to conform to their harsh actions.
Douglass refers to this sense of duty as the obligation to assert power and dominance over the slaves, normally through the use of cruelty. Whites supremacy placed the misconception that whites are a natural superior/ authority to blacks, which is why this sense of duty is instilled in them to inflict merciless pain and trauma in order to solidify a position of power over the slaves. You see the same sense of duty in law enforcement today which is why black people are still being “justifiably” murdered in cold blood at the hands of authority officials. The same principles of slavery have been perpetuated in modern day politics and institutions.
ReplyDeleteTuré Lawrence
Examples of this obligation to inflict cruelty for the assertion of power can be seen in both Mr. Gore and his merculess beatings as well as the subtle cruelty of the mistress to assert her position in the hierarchy of slave authority.
DeleteDouglass describes duty in many different ways throughout his narrative, such as abuse and sexual burdens. He outlines them for us through the activities of those in his domain. To me, having total power or a dictator, the whole system falls apart. Mr. Gore, along with other slave owners, practiced blood memory. Blood memory “helped” Mr. Gore keep the slaves obedient. You can also refer to the sense of duty that Jacobs had. Although, it wasn’t it was more of a sexual harassment/rape type of situation. Jacobs was basically had the “duty” of being Dr. Flint’s “little toy” or someone he could cheat on his wife with. In today’s society “duty” is portrayed by police, the military, and the government. Some of them take their duty to heart, to the point where they think they can have say over everything. There are also others that misuse their duty, and harm others or blacks when it comes to the police.
ReplyDeleteDouglas defined a sense of duty as ultimate power and control over an individual, which was often the duties of the overseer, master, and mistresses. They had dominance and power over those beneath them , which was the slaves. The overseers and master had a taste of absolute power which drove them to abuse it and become irrational supremacists. The believed that anything was just and rational in their eyes, despite how it bad it may have been in actual reality. They didn't feel their actions were irrational but a "duty" and obligation for them to uphold a higher authority compared to slaves. They abused their power so they can practice harsh tactics causing their pride and mentality of the slaves to diminish. The overseers believed that it was their duty to authorize and use their power to get slaves to do anything they pleased, if it wasn't to their satisfaction it was automatic punishment. Their power and tactics were corrupt, it wasn't a sense of duty but a sense of white supremacy and harassment towards anyone who wasn't like them.
ReplyDelete