Essay on slave narrative

Submitted By jenyaK
Words: 1183
Pages: 5
Open Document
Jenny Karpitskiy
David Rayson
History 1102-10
7 October 2010
Slave Narrative: The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave. Mary Prince was born in Brackish Pond, Bermuda in 1788. Her mother was enslaved to Charles Myners and her father was a sawyer who belonged to a ship builder named Mr. Trimmingham. After the death of Mr. Myners, his house hold and everything he owned was bought out by Captain Darrel Williams. Mary Prince became good friends with the Williams granddaughter Betsey, for whom she was purchased. Her mother was also a slave in that same household along with her siblings. Miss Williams, for whom they worked for was a kind woman, but her husband Captain Williams was known as a harsh man. The “slaves loved and pitied her” (1). Mary Prince was “attached to her, and, next to [her] own mother, loved her better than any creature in the world. [Her] obedience to her commands [were] cheerfully given: it sprung solely from the affection [she] felt for her, and not from fear of the power which the white people's law had given her over me.
At the age of twelve Mary prince was sold to different family which lived five miles away from the Williams family. From this point on, Mary prince was sold from household to household. After the death of Captain Darrel’s wife, Mary Prince was sold to Captain I-. Five years later, he sent her to work for Captain D- who sent her to work in the salt ponds of Turks Islands for "several years" before she returned to Bermuda to work again for Captain I— (13). In 1815 she was sold to Mr. John Wood where she worked for his house in Antigua. Later on she joined the Moravian church where she met her husband, Daniel James. Mary Prince accompanied the Wood family on their trip to England where she was technically freed by entering English soil. She continued to work for the Wood family until November but left their household and consulted with the Aldermanbury office of an Anti-Slavery Society. Because Wood refused to sell Prince her freedom, which would allow her to return to Antigua and her husband without being re-enslaved, the Anti-Slavery Society petitioned Parliament in June 1829 to coerce Wood to grant her manumission; however, the petition was unable to follow through when Mr. Wood left for Antigua before the public hearing.
After leaving the Woods family, Mary Prince was able to support herself. Although she was no longer able to live in her Bermuda home or see her husband, she was able to Move into to the Household of Mr. Thomas Pringle as a servant. Thomas Pringle was an Abolitionist writer and Secretary to the Anti- Slaver Society. While living with the Pringles, they decided to publish her story. Soon after, they were able to produce copies with the help of Susanna Strickland. In 1831 it was published as The History of Mary Prince.
As a younger girl, being born into slavery, I think Mary Prince was able to understand that she is a slave when she was sent to a different household at the age of twelve. At that time, she was to leave her family and the household she grew up in and move to a different home and nurse a child for Mrs. Pruden. Mary Prince was on her own without the help of her mother or siblings. As a young child she was used to living in different households as her mother was enslaved. She and her siblings were to fulfill small tasks for families while the adult slaves worked on more arduous tasks. As they grew older, the tasks became more difficult and they were expected to work much harder. Many times they were sold into different families and separated from their own loved ones, like Mary Prince. Slaves were expected to serve families by watching their children, helping them with tasks around their homes and by taking care of their land. At one point, Mary Prince occasionally worked as a Charwoman. No matter what slaves did, they were always expected to work. Many slaveholders did not take good care of their slaves. Some were respectful, but others were cruel to
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on slave narrative

Slave Narratives: Purposes

Most slave narrative have lots of things in common. Slave narratives use “ Purposes” For example John Andrew Jackson “ traditional Christian religious ideas. ” When he tells the story about being on the boat going to Boston to a free state. Slave narratives so use “ Parallels with captivity narrative ” for example Jackson “ balances yearning for freedom against the dangers of escape. ” He uses his brain to outsmart the masters in the south to get to a free state of boston. Slave narratives really…

Words 214 - Pages 1

Slave Narrative

My family and I are hurt and in pain but still working, we have been working since daylight, we’ve been struck many times and every time it hurts more, there are many people here which is wrong no one should be a slave which is why I’m going to be the first person to break my family and I out. My family is a family of four which will be pretty hard to get everyone out. There’s Ma, Pa my baby sister iris and me Zeke short for Ezekiel. So I’m very scared how I’m getting everyone out, so that’s why…

Words 1156 - Pages 5

Frederick Douglass: A Slave Narrative

had a typical life of most black people during the 19th century with slavery being prevalent and said slaves who are crying out for freedom. He was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Maryland roughly around the year of 1817 and has, "… no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it" (946). This slave narrative was written only by Frederick Douglass. A slave narrative is a type of literary work consisting of real life stories of enslaved Africans told by said enslaved…

Words 171 - Pages 1

The Narrative Of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave

children. Thomas Dumont, a slave owner, forces Sojourner to marry another slave named Robert. Although Sojourner was born into slavery, she escaped with her daughter in 1826. She was best known for her speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” She died on November 26, 1883. Sojourner changed her name on June 1, 1843 giving her life to Methodism. In 1850, Truth spoke at the first National Women’s Rights Convention. The biography under the title The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave was published in 1850…

Words 284 - Pages 2

Olaudah Equiano's Personal Slave Narrative

Equiano's personal slave narrative, "The Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African", Equiano uses first person pronouns, rhetorical questions, and diction to flip the idea that the African people act backwards and barbaric. Equiano does so by demonstrating his personal exceptionalism through his literacy to show that truly the white people remain backwards and barbaric because of their hypocrisy. This contradiction that Equiano demonstrates in his slave narrative shows that the savagery…

Words 811 - Pages 4

Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave

in slavery and his lifestyles after the Civil warfare. Such as the paintings Narrative of the existence of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, he died on February 20, 1895. In New Bedford, Frederick Douglass joined a black church and regularly attended abolitionist meetings.…

Words 311 - Pages 2

Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglas As An American Slave

go to school, he could stand amongst a crowd of geniuses you blend in perfectly. His mind was brilliant, and many marveled at the fact that he was a slave and he was so intelligent. Therefore, he wrote “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas an American Slave Written by Himself” to prove his identity while shedding light upon his memories as a slave. Frederick was born in Talbot county, Maryland to Harriet Bailey, a black woman. It’s know only through speculation that his father was his white…

Words 322 - Pages 2

Slave Narratives by Abolitionist Leader Frederick Douglass Essay

famous abolitionist Fredrick Douglass to achieve an impressive education and literacy level with which he was able to express the effect of slavery’s cruelty on humanity in his autobiography, speeches, and other lifes work. As was described in his narrative, Douglass began his initial education in Baltimore in secret after his mistress began to believe he would rebel if given the opportunity to educate himself. After reading news petitions by John Qunicy Adams, Douglas learned of the abolitionist movements…

Words 1101 - Pages 5

Essay about Humanities: Slavery and Slave Narrative Incidents

effects on Americans of African descent. The mental duty that institutionalized servitude and cruelty has had on African Americans can partially be blamed for the subpar success rate of many African Americans. To be concerned about the surroundings as a slave was none of their concern, however, undeniably brought awareness just by fixation. Any black babies born during enslavement were bastards, abandoned by their white fathers who despondently own them as property. That lost of affection left no sense…

Words 1612 - Pages 7

Desire For Power In Henry Louis Gates's The Classic Slave Narratives

motivated by the desire for power.” In other words, Nietzsche conveyed that the human body is driven by the forces of ambition,success, and recognition, in hope of attaining the most prominent status. In Henry Louis Gates's novel, The Classic Slave Narratives, both Mrs.Auld and Edward Covey exemplify the idea that “all actions are motivated by desire for power.” When sent to Baltimore to live with Mr.Hugh Auld, Douglass experiences a warm welcome from Mrs.Hugh Auld. Douglass states, “My New mistress…

Words 534 - Pages 3