Slave Narratives: Dignity, Survival, and Hope Under Slavery

Introduction: Cruelty and Resilience in Slavery

Slavery is perhaps the cruelest form of treatment that one human being can inflict upon another. Despite horrible conditions, enslaved people exhibited great strength and hope for their own race. Because of their hardships, slaves recognized the power of human dignity and the power of hope. While most slaves resented their masters for their cruel treatment, they did not let this rob them of self-respect or their hope for freedom. Through songs, poetry, and literature, slaves expressed their anguish, sorrow, and hope.

Botkin's Slave Accounts: Survival, Forbidden Knowledge, and Faith

Botkin records several slave stories that reveal how slaves dealt with their cruel masters. In the account "Hog-Killing Time," one slave remembers how the starving slaves would trick their master into thinking some of the hogs were infected with "malitis" in order to have enough meat for themselves. The malitis was caused by striking a hog between the eyes with a mallet and was the only way the slaves could have enough food to eat. Another account mentions how the slaves were not allowed to learn to read or write, because their owners feared that any learning would make the slaves more aware of their own oppression. That account is entitled "Forbidden Knowledge" because any type of knowledge the slaves could acquire would raise their awareness of how slavery was wrong. The slave owners even had a so-called preacher tell them that the Bible said slaves should "obey your masters and mistress, 'cause you git from them here in this world am all you ever going to git, 'cause you just like the hogs and the other animals — when you dies you ain't no more, after you been throwed in that hole" (190). What stands out from these accounts is the sheer sense of survival the slaves maintained despite what their masters did or said to them.

While the slaves might have believed such messages for a time, this did not stop them from learning words under the cover of darkness. This story is interesting because it illustrates that the slaves understood their harsh treatment but felt trapped. It also echoes a similarity to Douglass's narrative about how slaves were kept uneducated on purpose. In the account "Burning in Hell," one slave tells of how his master, Solomon, would threaten to whip slaves if he discovered them praying. Despite this threat, the slave says, "But some the old niggers tell us we got to pray to God that He don't think no different of the blacks and the whites" (190). These accounts illustrate the inner strength the slaves possessed, as well as their belief that something was deeply wrong about how they were treated, even when their situations seemed bleak and hopeless. They also reveal how little the slaves were willing to surrender to their masters' authority over their spiritual lives.

Gilbert Osofsky also recounts slave stories that reveal the anguish of slavery. For example, in "A Grave for Old Master," two slaves were digging a grave for their master. The hole was "six or seven feet" (191) into the earth. When questioned about why they dug it so deep, one of the slaves replied he wanted to "get the old man as near home as possible" (191). The slaves then covered the grave with the largest stone they could find to "fasten him down as strong as possible" (191). In one poem, slaves describe how they bake the bread but are allowed only the crust, and how they prepare the meat but receive only the skin. Additionally, one poem expresses hopelessness with these lines:

Gilbert Osofsky and the Anguish of Slavery in Song and Poetry

He delivered Daniel from the lion's den,
Jonah from de belly ob de whale,
And de Hebrew children from the fiery furnace,
And why not every man? (192)

This poem illustrates how the slaves understood the unfairness of their circumstances. The significance of song reveals how slaves truly felt about their situation, even when they were paralyzed from acting on those feelings. In a sense, poems and songs were therapeutic, because they allowed the slaves to express themselves.

Conclusion: The Enduring Strength of the Enslaved

The enslaved people examined in these accounts exhibited great strength of character in enduring their circumstances. They sang songs, wrote poetry, and told stories to release their frustration with cruel masters. Their shared bondage united them, and their endless hope gave them reason to carry on. While they knew their treatment was wrong, and even when their situations seemed hopeless, they did not give up. They believed they were individuals deserving of freedom and fair treatment, despite what they were told. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are inspirational figures because they educated themselves and wrote their own stories. Their accounts reflect both the misery and the remarkable strength that so many enslaved people possessed.