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  • Essay / The Difference Between Black and White Life During Slavery

    Looking through the critical lens of Mary Louise Pratt, we can see different contact zones in Harriet Jacobs' book, Incidents in Life of a slave girl. The difference between black and white life during slavery is obvious, and different areas lie under the skin and involve relationships and connections. The relationships that Harriet Jacobs established during her vicarious servitude are the most prominent. We can see many contact areas in his book, for example the general battle against oppression and freedom, his association with Mr. Sands, Mr. Flint and the readers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe subject of Contact Zones lies in the pointless struggle between freedom and subjugation. Harriet Jacobs is engaged in a constant battle in both the physical and mental realms. Pratt describes zones as “social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and clash, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical power relations, such as slavery.” » Pratt highlights Jacobs' fundamental problem, slavery. In this tale of bondage, we see the social spaces, connections, and struggles that Pratt speaks so clearly about. First, their social space is never substantial enough. They are constantly held back and mistreated. Wherever life takes them, they will always be chained. On the other hand, they will control who they see and know. In other words, they will control their relationships. They are under the total domination of another person who is constantly abused and used. A statement by Abraham Lincoln describes the third angle of the fight: “Slavery is. based on the selfishness of man's nature – opposition to it is based on his love of justice. These principles are in eternal antagonism; and when they collide as violently as the extension of slavery brings them, shocks, pangs, and convulsions must continually ensue. he depicts fights gently – constantly fighting, never very still. The relationship between Mr. Sands and Jacobs is a great example that falls into the contact zone. As we study this connection between Jacobs and Mr. Sands, it is fascinating to examine how this contact zone was created, why it was sustained for so long, and how this contact zone collided with other zones of contact and in itself. this contact area was about Mr. Sands' activity. He continually sought opportunities to see Jacobs and wrote letters to Jacobs as often as possible. Her sensitivity and desire to help energized Jacobs and complimented her because she considered him a superior person and getting his attention meant a lot. Interestingly, the area of ​​contact between Jacobs and Mr. Sands occurred outside the confines of slavery; but that doesn't take away from the fact that her being a slave had a lot to do with their relationship. Moreover, it was a camaraderie that was not constrained by Jacobs' subjugation, but rather a consensual relationship on both sides. Despite the fact that this relationship was not deeply unbalanced like that of Jacobs and Dr. Flint, Jacobs takes note of distance and social class. between them, and we can see the conflict within while examining why this relationship continued. Examining Jacobs' explanations for the continuation of this relationship, we discover three intriguing reasons. Initially, she expressed "there is something akin to the freedom of havinga lover who has no control over you except that which he gains through kindness and attachment. » So we see that Mr. Sands's sweet words and sensitivity had persuaded Jacobs that it was a "It's great to have such a friend" in Mr. Sands. Jacobs quickly recognized the potential new outcomes this relationship offered in terms of exact retaliation against Dr. Flint. She reflected: "I knew nothing would anger Dr. Flint so much as knowing that I favored another; and it was something to triumph over my tyrant, even in this small way." In this sense , we see that Jacobs got everything she could out of this relationship for herself and used it as leverage, which is justifiable in her situation also clear in the third reason she stated for pursuing this. relationship She clarified this reason in this explanation: "I thought [Dr. Flint] would get revenge by selling me, and I was sure that my friend, Mr. Sands, would buy my freedom. could be easily obtained through him Now that we have looked at Jacob's perspective on this relationship through the contact zones, let's move on to why Mr. Sands facilitates this relationship. content does not speak clearly to this issue as it does to Jacobs' point of view. However, a perception can be made of the reasons given by Mr Sands in view of Jacobs' responses and reactions. I think it's fascinating that a single white man could feel so much enthusiasm for a young African-American slave girl. She said: “It so happened that a single white man had knowledge of the circumstances in which I was placed. He knew my grandmother. "At first, his reasons appear to be exclusively reliable and serious as he endeavored to help Jacobs in his predicament. In any case, Jacobs had no say in whether Mr. Sands s Mr. Sands would not have been interested in Dr. Flint's various slaves, as Jacobs expressed it: "He was a learned and eloquent gentleman, too eloquent, alas, for the poor slave who trusted him." ." One can imagine how Mr. Sands could have used this more, strengthened his luck and talked to Jacobs, who was 15 at the time, regarding her as an equivalent person and playing with her feelings. Moreover, Jacobs. expressed that "the bad thing doesn't seem so great with a single man", and we later find out that Jacobs was an expectant mother. Therefore, we can conclude that Mr. Sands' motives were not absolutely true. There was clearly something more to his goals, perhaps even from the beginning of their relationship. Can I take the liberty of finding out? Could it be on the grounds that this poor slave girl was considered mere prey by the informed and expressive man of his word, Mr. Sands? Since we've covered Mr. Sands' reasons, how about we move on to how this contact zone collided and conflicted with other contact zones and with Jacobs' ideals. The biggest impact this relationship seems to have is on Jacobs. After telling Dr. Flint that she would have been a mother, she immediately declared, "My self-esteem was gone!" and now, how humiliated I felt! » We can see here that this relationship or contact area was in conflict with what Jacobs was supposed to be. She expressed, “I had resolved that I would be virtuous, even if I were a slave. I said: “Let the storm blow! I will brave it”. Another contact area with which this relationship conflicts is that between Jacobs and Dr. Flint. We see in Dr. Flint's announcement to Jacobs: "'you are my slave and you will be.