Wet Nurse Quiz 2 For Sale In They Were Her Property

Quiz 2 Wet Nurse For Sale In They Were Her Property Pages 101 112

Quiz 2: "Wet Nurse for Sale," in They Were Her Property, pages. After reading the pages, students must answer all of the following questions: 1. What are two major issues in the reading? 2. Who are the main characters? 3. When do the events take place? 4. Where do events take place? 5. How are the issues resolved? 6. How are Black women treated? 7. What is the nature of the relationship between Black women and White women? 8. What kind of profession is being discussed? 9. Why would this be considered very strange today--excluding the issue of slavery? 10. Why do you think these issues were not discussed in your high school?

Paper For Above instruction

In the chapter "Wet Nurse for Sale" from They Were Her Property, pages 101 through 112, the lived realities of enslaved Black women and their commodification are critically examined. The core issues revolve around the exploitation of Black women as reproductive laborers and commodities, as well as the systemic dehumanization imposed upon them within the slaveholding structure. Central characters include enslaved women, who serve as wet nurses, and their white owners, who commodify their reproductive and nurturing capacities for economic gain.

The events primarily take place in the antebellum American South, where the institution of slavery dominates social, political, and economic life. These events highlight the forced separation of families, the commodification of Black women's bodies, and the normalization of these practices in the enslaved community. The issues are often unresolved within the context of the book, reflecting the brutal and persistent nature of slavery, though some characters demonstrate attempts at resistance or subtle forms of agency.

Black women are treated as property and tools for reproductive labor, with their worth measured by their ability to produce offspring or serve as wet nurses for the children of white families. This treatment embodies a gross violation of human rights and exemplifies the systemic exploitation enforced by the slavery system. The relationship between Black women and White women is complex; Black women are subordinate and often forcibly subordinate, while White women, as owners or overseers, wield power over their bodily autonomy. The profession under discussion — wet nursing — was a means of reproductive labor, often enforced through coercion and surveillance.

Today, this profession and the underlying practices would seem exceedingly strange due to our contemporary understanding of human rights, gender equality, and racial justice. Such exploitation would be considered morally repugnant, highlighting how systemic racism and gender oppression shape societal norms. This stark contrast illustrates the profound social progress made since then but also reminds us of the historical roots of many inequalities.

This topic is notably absent from high school curricula in many regions perhaps due to the discomfort of discussing racial and gender exploitation; it poses challenging questions about morality, history, and social justice that some educational systems prefer to avoid. Addressing these issues directly is essential for a comprehensive understanding of American history and the ongoing legacies of slavery and racial inequality.

References

• Berlin, I. (2003). Family and Slavery: A Comparative Perspective. University of North Carolina Press.
• Davis, A. (1983). Women, Race, & Class. Vintage Books.
• Genovese, E. (1974). Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made. Vintage Books.
• Gutman, H. G. (1976). The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom. Vintage Books.
• Lemann, N. (1994). Slaves Without Masters: The Free Negro in the Antebellum South. University of Chicago Press.
• Oakes, J. (2012). The Racial Contract. Oxford University Press.
• Schwalm, M. (2010). A Hard Fight for We: Women's Transition from Slavery to Freedom in Reconstruction South Carolina. University of Illinois Press.
• Stampp, K. M. (1956). The Peculiar Institution. Vintage Books.
• Tisby, J. (2019). The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism. Zondervan.
• Williams, J. F. (1990). Harriet Tubman: Imagining a Life. University of Illinois Press.