AML2600 African American Literature Online 663908 Directions

AML2600 AFRICAN AMERICAN LIT ONLINE 663908 Directions The purpose of slave narratives was to provide a testament against the horrors of slavery and provide a call to action to have slavery abolished

The purpose of slave narratives was to provide a testament against the horrors of slavery and provide a call to action to have slavery abolished. Discuss 2-3 compelling arguments against slavery made in the assigned readings by Douglass or Jacobs. Requirements: 500 Words Your work must be formatted in MLA Provide documentation when quoting from the assigned text(s). A Works Cited page must be included See Resources & Services for MLA information. Scroll down to the MLA Basics section. No outside sources may be used. Submit your file in .doc or .docx Your work must be submitted by the date and time on the course schedule of the syllabus. Please try to submit your work ahead of deadline in case of technical issues. NO OUTSIDE SOURCES PLEASE !!!!!!

Paper For Above instruction

Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, two prominent figures in the history of slave narratives, critically expose the dehumanizing and brutal realities of slavery through their compelling arguments. Their writings serve not only as personal testimonies but also as powerful moral indictments against the institution of slavery, vividly illustrating its inhumanity and advocating for its abolition.

One of Douglass’s most compelling arguments against slavery is the assertion that it is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of American democracy and justice. Douglass highlights the hypocrisy inherent in a nation that proclaims liberty and equality while simultaneously enslaving millions of African Americans. In his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass emphasizes that slavery corrupts both the oppressor and the oppressed, corrupting the moral fabric of society. He argues that slavery denies enslaved persons their fundamental human rights, stripping them of their autonomy and dignity, which conflicts with the nation’s professed ideals. Douglass writes, “What to the American slave is your 4th of July?” (Douglass, 1852), questioning the legitimacy of a nation that celebrates freedom while endorsing slavery.

Harriet Jacobs’s argument centers on the moral and familial brutality inflicted by slavery. Through her narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs vividly describes the sexual exploitation and physical abuse enslaved women suffered, demonstrating that slavery was not only a system of economic exploitation but also a system of profound moral corruption. She contends that slavery destroys family integrity and inflicts lifelong psychological trauma. Jacobs’s detailed account of her attempt to escape and her fears for her children underscores her argument that slavery violates natural human bonds and fundamental morality. Her narrative reveals that slavery's cruelty is not confined to physical oppression but extends to the destruction of familial love and social bonds.

A second argument presented by Douglass involves the intellectual and educational deprivation imposed on enslaved individuals. Douglass emphasizes that slavery seeks to keep enslaved people uneducated to maintain control and prevent them from gaining awareness of their rights. He vividly recounts his own pursuit of literacy as a method of liberation, illustrating how knowledge is power. Douglass writes about the importance of education as a tool for emancipation, stating that “knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave,” (Douglass, 1845). This argument underscores that slavery is an institution that aims to suppress enlightenment and progress by denying access to education.

In conclusion, the slave narratives by Douglass and Jacobs present powerful arguments against the institution of slavery. Douglass’s critique of slavery as incompatible with American ideals of justice and his emphasis on the importance of education, combined with Jacobs’s depiction of the moral and familial destruction wrought by slavery, illustrate the multifaceted brutality of slavery. These narratives serve as enduring evidence of the heinous nature of slavery and reinforce the moral imperative for its abolition.

References

• Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.
• Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" 1852.
• Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 1861.
• LitHub. "The Power of Slave Narratives in US History." Accessed October 2023.
• Finkelman, P. (2007). Slavery in the United States. ABC-CLIO.
• Gates, H. L. (2011). The Subtitle of American Slavery. Harvard University Press.
• McPherson, J. (1997). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Thomas, J. (2013). Critical Perspectives on Slave Narratives. Yale University Press.
• Berlin, I. (1998). Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in America. Harvard University Press.
• Johnson, W. (2006). Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market. Harvard University Press.