Limiting the selection of quotations to pages 98-99, analyse how Steinbeck presents the character ‘Crooks’ from the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ In ‘Of Mice and Men’, Crooks is the black stable buck who suffered from prejudicial treatment from others on the ranch. Throughout the introduction of Crooks, racism is cardinal theme, “Crooks, the negro stable buck…” ‘Crooks’ was the name assigned to him as he has a crooked back, the idea that he was ‘assigned’ a name turns back to the times of slavery where slaves were often given a name by their owners. By being ‘given’ this name, Crooks is disempowered; it is thought that names given an identity and to be recognised by a disability, it would be thought that Crooks may have a low self-esteem. As aforementioned, this also lays emphasis on how Crooks is dominated by the other white ranch hands as they provided him this name. “…The negro stable buck…” The term ‘negro’ denotes black and Steinbeck defines Crooks by his race before bringing in his profession.
Derrick Williams Prof. Sackley History 199 9/30/2011 “For my own part, I felt indifferent to my fate. It appeared to me that the worst had come (the separation of him and his family), that could come, and that no change of fortune could harm me.” Charles Ball was born into slavery. He encountered the same punishment and had to live the same hard and cruel life similar to any other slave. However, Balls story differs due to his never ending ambition to be active in his attempts to expose, change, and better the lives of slaves. As a young man, Ball was sold and separated from his wife and children to a slave trader.
One story that goes in depth about these things is about a slave who worked his way up towards a house-slave. These slaves got to stay in the house, and more often than not, these slaves would be REALLY hated by the other slaves. Anyway, this slave, even though a house slave didn't just betray his fellow slaves to the master. This slave self-taught himself to read so that whenever the master and another helper were talking, he could understand them. You see, whenever the master and someone else were speaking, and they didn't want the house slave to know, they would spell out whatever they're trying to say.
(McKay, Chap 21, pg 570) In order to get a good perspective on what being a slave was like, we will look into a narrative written by Olaudah Equiano. Equiano was a native of Iboland who was captured at the age of eleven. He describes how some villagers would wait until the adults would go out in the plantations to work to abduct their younger children. Once Equiano was sold to the Europeans he says that they were treated horribly beaten and cramped on a very small boat. The reason that the slaves were treated badly could have been due to the fact that the Europeans had to pay a high price for them or just due to a lack of space.
He was particularly not very fond of Thomas Jefferson, who he thought to be a racist. In his “Appeal in Four Articles” we can detect the tone and seriousness in his voice right away. This is obviously not a topic he takes lightly. He blasts the institution of slavery right away when he says, “But we, (coloured people) and our children are brutes!! and of course are and ought to be slaves to the American people and their children forever“ ( Walker 792).
Bound for Canaan The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America’s first Civil Rights Movement Author: Fergus M. Bordewich Written By; Noel Lemley In this book the author, Fergus M. Bordewich, describes several stories in regards to how the Underground Railroad became established. He goes on to talking about how some whites helped slaves become free just because they believed it was the right thing to do, such as; Isaac Hopper, Levi Coffin, John Rankin. All of these men have contributed in their own way in order to keep the Underground Railroad running. These men went through obstacles, jeopardized their own lives and their families lives for the sake of what was right and what everybody should have; in their eyes. They differed from other whites because of their belief that God created everyone equal, no matter the color of their skin.
Matt Bresnahan P. 02 English III March 7, 2012 Rough Draft The Economics in Slavery Slavery was a prevalent issue throughout the nineteenth and into the early twentieth century. It raised many questions morally but was the real topic of debate was that it was justifiable. Slavery was not meant to put down blacks as a race; it was a tool used by southern families to help around the house and used in hopes of creating economic success Slaves were cared for in terms of human necessities; Slaves were extremely important to their masters and their master’s family. They served many purposes ranging from a farm hand all the way to cooks or house cleaners. Each slave was an investment made by the owner and in order to support
In prison when Malcolm begins to study the nation of Islam he says, “I have to admit a sad, shameful fact. I had so loved being around white man that in prison I really disliked how Negro convicts stuck together so much. But when Mr. Muhammad’s teachings reversed my attitude toward my black brothers, in my guilt and shame I began to catch every chance I could to recruit for Mr. Muhammad”(Malcolm X, 185). Malcolm is describing how his views about assimilation changed when he became a member of the nation of Islam. Before Malcolm believed that assimilation was the easiest way for black men to become free because he believed if he assimilated with white men he would be accepted into their society and as a result become free from racial prejudice.
Another example of his viewpoint on the effects of the institution of slavery is found when Solomon is observing the son of Mr. Epps, his last master, dealing with Uncle Abram, one of the slaves, “The child is father to the man…The influence of the iniquitous system necessarily fosters an unfeeling and cruel spirit, even in the bosoms of those who, among their equal, are regarded as humane and generous.” Pg. 261. Northup makes other similar observations throughout the book, which also help convey his viewpoint on slavery as an
Lord Dunmore in an effort to gain more manpower promised freedom to all slaves fighting for the Rebels. The British then had over 800 slaves join British Forces. These concerns were spoken of with clear disagreement by one of our founding forefathers Thomas Jefferson who wrote in a draft of the Declaration of Independence about the King and slavery, Jefferson stated “he [the king of Britain] has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit