Black Women In The Late 1970's: An Analysis

Overall I think this reading contrasts life for a black women in mid to late 1970’s with the 1850’s. For example, Dana, who is a black women in 1970’s is suddenly thrown randomly into the lives of her ancestors (slaves) in the South during the 1850’s.
I think one way this is effective is by really showing the reader that slavery isn’t something we can ever understand unless it experienced, just like Douglass said. This is done by allowing us to see slavery through the eyes of Dana, a women who the audience can relate to more because she was never subjected to slavery.
It was increasingly harder for me to read about Dana being whipped then it was for me to read about the slaves being whipped because I related to her more. Even the way she described it I could relate to more, because the actions of whipping and beating people were so foreign to her, too. I actually think this connects with Douglass stating that after he had been to a nicer slave owning family the beating and whipping was even harder for him. She wasn’t raised in a society were whipping her and raping her was normal, which made it so much more disturbing to read. Her ancestors has to grow thicker skin because that was the life they …show more content…
I think this is significant because the right to fight back, especially for women, was so unheard of and unseen that it really confused her potential rapist. To me, this really shows how much slaves were controlled and manipulated mentally as well. They didn’t think about returning the violence because they were trained to think that it wasn’t an option for them. This further contrasts how much differences there are between 1850 and 1970’s that Dana currently lived in. Even though she saw violence on TV and, I am sure, experienced racial oppression, it was on such a drastically lesser