i am reading A Girl Threatened by Sexual Exploitation by Harriet Jacobs.
Can someone please explain what this excerpt mean?
"No matter whether the slave girl be as black as ebony or as fair as her mistress. In either case, there is no shadow of law to protect her from insult, from violence, or even from death; all these are inflicted by fiends who bear the shape of men. The mistress, who ought to protect the helpless victim, has no other feelings towards her but those of jealousy and rage."
Thank you
Masters could do anything to their slaves, including killing them. Rights of slaves didn't exist; no laws protected them.
Ms. Sue,
also does it mean that no matter the skin color, black or white, the law didn't protect any woman from insult violence or even death. and all this was done by men. or am I interpreting it wrong?
No, it just applies to slaves. Even the child of a white father, if the mother was a slave, is still a slave. A few slaves had several white ancestors and looked white.
"No matter whether the slave girl be as black as ebony or as fair as her mistress."
Slavery has existed since humans could subdue other humans. If you need more information, you can read about how slaves were treated in ancient days and more recent days, too:
https://www.google.com/search?q=laws+regarding+slaves+in+old+testament&oq=laws+regarding+slaves+in+old+testament&aqs=chrome..69i57.8050j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
and
https://www.google.com/search?ei=hi7sXIqzN4m0swXenoSgAQ&q=laws+regarding+slaves+in+greece&oq=laws+regarding+slaves+in+greece&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i299.91232.92313..92556...0.0..0.155.769.0j6......0....1..gws-wiz.......33i22i29i30j33i160.-xe3BYE30VA
and
https://www.google.com/search?ei=5C7sXPa9EouQtQXdjb3QDA&q=laws+regarding+slaves+in+china&oq=laws+regarding+slaves+in+china&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i22i29i30.26188.27070..27261...0.0..0.176.657.0j5......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j33i299j33i160.HBSMF6aZd0E
And THEN, consider the word "trafficking" that's used today. That word should be eradicated and "slavery" used in its place.
This excerpt is from Harriet Jacobs' book, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", and it highlights the vulnerability and injustice faced by slave girls during that time.
The first part of the excerpt states that the color of the slave girl's skin doesn't matter; whether she is dark-skinned or light-skinned like her mistress, there is no legal protection for her. This emphasizes that the oppressive circumstances faced by slave girls are not determined by their appearance.
The next part of the excerpt points out that the slave girl is subjected to insults, violence, and even the threat of death. These acts are perpetrated by individuals who are described as "fiends who bear the shape of men". This indicates that those who engage in such acts of cruelty are human beings but lack humanity and empathy.
Harriet Jacobs further highlights the role of the mistress in this oppressive system. Instead of standing up for the helpless slave girl and protecting her, the mistress harbors negative emotions towards her, such as jealousy and rage. This reveals the perversion of familial or compassionate bonds and underscores the significant role that mistresses played in perpetuating the mistreatment of enslaved women.
Overall, this excerpt exposes the deeply unjust and dangerous circumstances faced by slave girls, highlighting the absence of legal protection, the inhumanity of those who perpetrate violence against them, and the betrayal of trust by mistresses who should have provided support and protection.