As both a free black and an indentured servant to a white family in the North, Frado is forced to experience life through two lenses, neither of which offers true personal freedom. She is shielded from some of the more violent aspects of slavery due to living in the north, and she has a degree of freedom not afforded to actual slaves, but she must also face constant degradation from the Bellmonts and the white society in which she inhabits. Wilson makes Frado’s predicament as an outcast clear through scenes that involve Frado being beat, humiliated, and shunned by the white people in her life, but it is also telling of the benefits that Frado receives from being in the north by her gaining an education and never having to face the realities
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As soon as her mother cast her off to the Bellmonts, Frado’s dehumanization starts. She gains the name “Nig” from Jack saying to Mary that having Frado around will be a point of pride for her. Jack jokes that Mary will brag to her friends about “our nig” (Wilson 26), but, in reality, this scene ironically foreshadows Frado’s mistreatment. “Nig” is not a term of endearment. The Bellmonts refer to Frado as Nig to take away her humanity and socially ostracize her. When Frado goes to school for the first time with Mary, the other school children react by shouting “See that nigger,” (31) which shows that not just her host family but also the community at large seeks to dehumanize and other Frado. Even James, who cares and sympathizes with Frado, calls her “pretty little Nig” (47). James calling her “Nig” shows an inability by even those most sympathetic to Frado see her full humanity. Frado does not bear the psychological mistreatment of being called “Nig” unscathed. When Frado confesses to James that she does not like God “because he made her [Mrs. Bellmont] white, and me black” (51) she displays a degree of awareness and hopelessness because of her position as a black person in American society. Given that Our Nig is an autobiographical text, the scars of being dehumanized can also be seen in the fact that the writer refers to Frado as Nig in the narrative …show more content…
For example, she is afforded an education and has the opportunity to learn on her own (31). If Frado was in the South, her learning simply how to read would have been illegal. She is also allowed to attend church for a time until Mrs. Bellmont no longer allows her to go (103). The freedom of movement that Frado has toward the end of the story is unique because a slave would not have had the opportunity to freely roam about their town in search of help or work. If Frado were in the South, the opportunity to travel to a town and gain the respect of its citizens like she she did (125) would not have existed at all. She was in a constant state of danger, but her situation was somewhat safer than that of an enslaved black person.
Our Nig presents a picture of a black person trying to navigate the complexities of being both free and partially enslaved to a rich white family. Wilson’s portrayal of Frado’s struggles is skillfully nuanced. Frado’s struggles show that in essence she is trapped in a society that does not fully value her as a human being. To an extent she reaps the benefits of not being enslaved by being educated and having some freedom of movement, but society still oppresses and dehumanizes her at every turn. Her story displays that even a supposedly free black person in pre-Civil War America was not actually
As soon as her mother cast her off to the Bellmonts, Frado’s dehumanization starts. She gains the name “Nig” from Jack saying to Mary that having Frado around will be a point of pride for her. Jack jokes that Mary will brag to her friends about “our nig” (Wilson 26), but, in reality, this scene ironically foreshadows Frado’s mistreatment. “Nig” is not a term of endearment. The Bellmonts refer to Frado as Nig to take away her humanity and socially ostracize her. When Frado goes to school for the first time with Mary, the other school children react by shouting “See that nigger,” (31) which shows that not just her host family but also the community at large seeks to dehumanize and other Frado. Even James, who cares and sympathizes with Frado, calls her “pretty little Nig” (47). James calling her “Nig” shows an inability by even those most sympathetic to Frado see her full humanity. Frado does not bear the psychological mistreatment of being called “Nig” unscathed. When Frado confesses to James that she does not like God “because he made her [Mrs. Bellmont] white, and me black” (51) she displays a degree of awareness and hopelessness because of her position as a black person in American society. Given that Our Nig is an autobiographical text, the scars of being dehumanized can also be seen in the fact that the writer refers to Frado as Nig in the narrative …show more content…
For example, she is afforded an education and has the opportunity to learn on her own (31). If Frado was in the South, her learning simply how to read would have been illegal. She is also allowed to attend church for a time until Mrs. Bellmont no longer allows her to go (103). The freedom of movement that Frado has toward the end of the story is unique because a slave would not have had the opportunity to freely roam about their town in search of help or work. If Frado were in the South, the opportunity to travel to a town and gain the respect of its citizens like she she did (125) would not have existed at all. She was in a constant state of danger, but her situation was somewhat safer than that of an enslaved black person.
Our Nig presents a picture of a black person trying to navigate the complexities of being both free and partially enslaved to a rich white family. Wilson’s portrayal of Frado’s struggles is skillfully nuanced. Frado’s struggles show that in essence she is trapped in a society that does not fully value her as a human being. To an extent she reaps the benefits of not being enslaved by being educated and having some freedom of movement, but society still oppresses and dehumanizes her at every turn. Her story displays that even a supposedly free black person in pre-Civil War America was not actually