The racial tensions in 19th century America were not limited to the United States. In the late 19th century, the northern United States’s abolitionist movement took hold resulting in an “emancipated” North. Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, challenges this sense of Northern freedom through its depiction of Jacob’s life in both hemispheres of the country. The similarities between her “slave life” and “free life” result in her defining freedom as the lack of oppressive racial prejudices and dehumanization of any sort. Jamaica Kincaid's narrative, A Small Place, highlights Antigua’s dehumanization and racial prejudice. Thus, by reading the two books together and applying Jacobs’ definition to Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place, Antigua, despite its independence, also lacks freedom.
Jacobs’ experiences as a slave in the South characterize the antithesis of freedom because slavery, by definition, is the antithesis of freedom; Jacobs suffers from both dehumanization and racial prejudice in the South. First, Jacobs reveals the dehumanization by discussing her masters view of her father’s education of his children; she says “[her father’s education philosophy] was blasphemous doctrine for a …show more content…
Jacobs claims that freedom does not include dehumanization and racial prejudice, both of which she experienced in the South and does not necessarily correlate with emancipation. Antigua suffers from the same flaws, and thus much like the United States lacks freedom. This understanding of Antigua, however, is not made entirely clear by Kincaid herself. While her language definitely indicates both dehumanization and evidence of racial prejudice, it leaves the reader without a complete understanding of Antigua’s freedom. Thus, reading the two narratives together allows the reader to bridge this gap and fully understand
Jacobs’ experiences as a slave in the South characterize the antithesis of freedom because slavery, by definition, is the antithesis of freedom; Jacobs suffers from both dehumanization and racial prejudice in the South. First, Jacobs reveals the dehumanization by discussing her masters view of her father’s education of his children; she says “[her father’s education philosophy] was blasphemous doctrine for a …show more content…
Jacobs claims that freedom does not include dehumanization and racial prejudice, both of which she experienced in the South and does not necessarily correlate with emancipation. Antigua suffers from the same flaws, and thus much like the United States lacks freedom. This understanding of Antigua, however, is not made entirely clear by Kincaid herself. While her language definitely indicates both dehumanization and evidence of racial prejudice, it leaves the reader without a complete understanding of Antigua’s freedom. Thus, reading the two narratives together allows the reader to bridge this gap and fully understand