Mansion's Autobiography

Slave Who was Juan Francisco Manzano? Why did he write his Autobiography? Juan Francisco Manzano was born in Cuba in the year 1797. For most of his life, he was a slave, but he learned how to read, write, and compose poetry because he was a domestic servant who had a benevolent mistress until he was ten years old. After that, Manzano continued to improve himself by memorizing poetry, painting, and making clothes.

He wrote poetry throughout his life, and eventually caught the attention of a political group that helped to buy his freedom and publicize his writings. Manzano wrote his autobiography to apply his literary teachings and share the remarkable story of his life. What were his living and working arrangements? How did they differ from those of other slaves? Until he was ten years old, Manzano had a mistress who did not treated him as a slave.

It was due to his early childhood and relative sense of empowerment that Manzano developed the ability to write and think about freedom as a distinct possibility. In this way, his living and working arrangements differed significantly from other slaves. When he was ten, his kind mistress died and he was sold to an abusive mistress. Although the new mistress, Marquesa de Prado-Ameno (Maria de la Concepcion Aparicio del Manzano y Justiz) restricted his freedom severely, Manzano continued to memorize lines of poetry and literature.

Due to his continued interest in and talent for the arts, Manzano's life trajectory differed from his fellow slaves. 3- How did Manzano feel about non-African (Western) culture? Please use at least one quote from the Autobiography (cite page number) to illustrate your answer. Manzano found that he had to balance "the world of white hegemony and that of marginalized blacks, without ever belonging to one or the other," (p. 30).

His odd status made him aware that non-African cultures had something to offer, which is why he was interested in literature, poetry, and the arts. However, Manzano also saw the detrimental effects of slavery and white hegemony. 4- Did Manzano promote the abolition of slavery in his Autobiography? Please base your response on Manzano's ideas about slavery. Use quotes (cite page numbers) if necessary. Manzano understood the need for the abolition of slavery, and this is evident tacitly and explicitly in his autobiography.

In particular, Manzano notes that eventually people will feel shamed for owning slaves (p. 17). He knew he was in a relatively high status position for a slave, and still felt constrained and abused. However, it was later in his life when he met the political group and Domingo del Monte that he became even more conscious of the need for abolition and his role in promoting abolition through his writing.

5- Based on what you have learned about Manzano in his Autobiography: would he join a community of runaway slaves or participate in a slave revolt? Please justify your response using specific ideas from the book (no need to use quotes but just general ideas). Because Manzano's life was relatively blessed, in spite.