Mainstream and the Norm

In this article, the point is made that the concept of mainstream is inherently a flawed concept, because there is no single over-arching norm that encompasses everyone. This is due to the fact that no single person adheres to every characteristic which makes up what is considered "normal" by any length of the imagination. This piece resonates with all of us, because this is a struggle we all face at certain intervals. We are all attempting to balance who we feel the real us is, and what we feel is the socially acceptable version of ourselves. We are constantly compromising who we really are (although, how can we say with definitive certainty that one of our sides is more real than any other, even if it does emerge under coercion. How are we to say that this is any less real?) This the point made in the article, and it ties in with a theme we has revisited constantly throughout the class. What exactly is normal, and can anyone really subscribe to the notion that any of us conform to this notion?

Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl Pt. 2

My children grew finely; and Dr. Flint would often say to me, with an exulting smile, "These brats will bring me a handsome sum of money one of these days."
I thought to myself that, God being my helper, they should never pass into his hands. It seemed to me I would rather see them killed than have them given up to his power.

This passage underlines the overall hopelessness Jacobs felt at her predicament. What should have given her great joy - the birth of her children - is instead just one more thing for Dr. Flint to use to exercise his control over her. I found this passage particularly unsettling for it does a good job of succinctly illustrating the kind of person that Dr. Flint is. It is obvious that he considers the children, and all slaves in general, as no better than livestock. In fact, less than livestock, for no one in their right mind would flog some of their livestock for whom they had paid a hefty price. Flint's overall attitude, and the pleasure he takes in it, is evidence of how slavery has degraded him morally. I think it quite likely that even if the institution of slavery had never existed, Flint would have still been extremely unpleasant person but the circumstances in which he lived helped to make him much more than unpleasant, instead he became a monster. This is the point that Jacobs is making when she speaks of the degrading effect slavery has on whites as well as blacks. It scarred everyone involved, be those scars emotional or physical.

Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl

It is extremely important for us as the readers of this work that we are aware that it is not fiction, but a true story. If this story were fiction, or even only partly exaggerated, it would be easy to write off the horrors in the book as things that did not really occur. Even though slavery was obviously an evil, degrading institution, we wouldn't have to think about such specific atrocities were the book fictionalized at all. Instead we are forced to imagine these things quite vividly as they are presented to us in an explicit manner. This book allows us to put a face on an institution that it is easy to think about in general terms most of the time. It is easy to simply talk about slavery without thinking of the real consequences it had for individuals who were involved. It is important that the language in this version is not cleaned up because it gives us a sense of the vulgar language and actions people had to endure on a daily basis during these times. Children were forcibly subjected to many lewd and profane things by their masters, things that were extremely degrading and dehumanizing. These sorts of things - I would contend even more than the whippings in many cases -were what caused many slaves to see themselves as truly inferior to white people. If someone is constantly hearing such degrading language, they come to see themselves in an extremely negative light. This was all part of a larger project to keep the slaves subservient to their masters. It is easier to keep someone in bondage if they do not believe they are worth anything, or that they even deserve freedom. So in this respect, it is important for us that the language is not cleaned up because it helps us understand the mental hardships the slaves had to endure, for in many ways these were every bit as damaging as the physical injustices that were forced upon them.

Prejudice

This piece presents us with the idea that children are instilled with prejudices at birth. They are taught these things by their family and friends and the environment in which they live effects these prejudices. Virtually everything around us affects our prejudices, for good or ill. I agree with the main point of this article, that specific prejudices are taught, and not inherent in us at birth. Young children have no qualms about playing with children of different ethnicity, and yet often those same children grow up to be racist. We are a veritable blank slate as children, and we are dependent upon our parents and our environment to help us fill this slate, hopefully with knowledge, though quite often this slate is filled with ignorance. On the one hand, I do believe specific prejudices are taught to us at birth, but on the other hand, I do believe that the capability to maintain a prejudice is something that every human being has inside of them from birth. Simply stated, I believe that the need to be superior to others is a trait inherent in every human-being, albeit in differing degrees depending on the person. If we were to teach our children in a way that did not lead them to develop prejudices, we would likely live in a more peaceful climate than we do now. That being said, many of the problems that exist today would still exist, simply because it is human nature to want to feel superior to others.