Race and Culture

In both readings, the characters were definitely caught between cultures. In Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, she describes how difficult for an African American woman to live in society at that time. Jacob's describes the slave girl's sister going through "misery and degradation being forced to suffer in slavery." In addition, she goes on to say "Mortified and tormented beyond endurance, this child came and threw herself on her mother's bosom, the only place where she could seek refuge from her persecutor; and yet she could not protect her child that she bore into the world" (Jacobs 766). Jacob later discusses in the reading how even her mother was punished for taking or trying to protect her daughter from this injustice stating "My mother was dragged to jail, there remained twenty-five days, with negro traders to come in as they liked to examine her, as she was offered for sale." In describing how African American slaves were treated really shows how it was hard to adapt to the American culture. In the case of the Native Americans, they were in a way forced to adapt to the American culture and believe in the American dream; Wearing clothing, listening to the white settlers, etc. However, in the case of the African Americans, it was a sense of fear as to "if we don't like what they are doing to us, we can't really do anything about it because punishment would be involved." In Jacob's writing, she explains how she doesn't write this to gain sympathy or anything to that extent but she states, "But I do earnestly desire to arouse the women of the North to a realizing sense of the condition of two millions of women at the South, still in bondage, suffering what i suffered, and most of them far worst" (Jacobs 769). In Jacobs stating this, it really shows the problem between the two cultures: one was more dominant than the other and harder for the less dominant to gain a voice in this country. In being a slave, slaves had no rights given to them and seemed to be considered "worthless" in the eyes of the white American. 


In Child's The Quadroons, the characters portrayed are definitely represented by being caught between cultures. From the beginning of the reading, Child's describes Rosalie having a better than usual life as a slave. Rosalie, though a slave, had a very wealthy owner and was not mistreated as most slaves were (like in Jacobs' account). However, being in love with another slave name Edward turned into a spiral when things could not work out between them due to the fact that they were slaves. In having a daughter, they were not allowed to officially be declared married, so things between the couple ended. In Child's reading she states "What would be the destiny of this fascinating young creature, so radiant with life and beauty? She belonged to a proscribed race; and though the brown color on her soft cheek was scarcely deeper than the sunny side of a golden pear, yet was it sufficient to exclude her from virtuous society." I felt this quote to be sufficient evidence to state that society had looked down upon many African American slaves. This quote shows the uncertainties many had, thinking about the future of their children and what would life be like for them. Would they have to face the injustice and torture they endured?

Both readings show conflict the characters felt in society due to their race. In Jacobs' writing, she lived in fear most of her life, enduring the worst from society. The reading shows that as an African American, you had no voice at all in this country. If you were to be beaten or treated unfairly, there was no way out. In Child's reading, it shows how society looked down upon the African American slaves, disregarding their rights as human beings and what was to happen in the future.