In six chapters Deborah White breaks down the living burdens of racism and sexism black women endured. White breaks down the numerous identities a slave woman showed during the Antebellum South. White gathered interviews, researched examples, events and writings from historical figures that too have also attempted to describe the heinous events black woman dealt with. The chapters all standalone elaborating specific studies in certain aspects of the enslaved women yet all merged as one in complete unity and ease. The overall message of White is clear throughout the book; black women were enslaved by their sex and race. A good part of the book, primarily Chapter 1 is White unpacking the characters of “Jezebel” and “Mammy” designated to black
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On page 62, White states that “Slavery is terrible for men: but it is far more terrible for women..”. Chapter 2: The Nature of Female Slavery elaborated on the hardships black women encountered. Female slavery was not only hard labor but child bearing, nourishing were also part of the description. Childbearing is where the women had different experiences since she had not only her forced work and labor, but also required to take on the extra care of her child and those of the slave-owners. Chapter 3 provides the reader with details regarding the women’s slave life cycle. White discusses the expectations and day to day life of enslaved women by marking the influential turning points of her life. The stages included the reality and expectations throughout childhood, fertility, motherhood, marriage and lastly old age. As explained in the initial parts of the book and throughout chapter 2 and 3, having children was a big part of the life of enslaved women. Pregnancy was expected in black woman in her teens and once mothers and wives their dependency on each other grew. The bond between enslaved women grew after every child born or marriage. This relationship is further studied in chapter 4: The Female Slave Network. Enslaved women often had to fend for themselves for their husbands were either way or powerless against the white male. This chapter is the shortest chapter in Arnt I a Woman? Yet is a complete powerhouse through Whites writing. She shows in detail the impressive realization of unison among the enslaved women against the dehumanizing nature of
On page 62, White states that “Slavery is terrible for men: but it is far more terrible for women..”. Chapter 2: The Nature of Female Slavery elaborated on the hardships black women encountered. Female slavery was not only hard labor but child bearing, nourishing were also part of the description. Childbearing is where the women had different experiences since she had not only her forced work and labor, but also required to take on the extra care of her child and those of the slave-owners. Chapter 3 provides the reader with details regarding the women’s slave life cycle. White discusses the expectations and day to day life of enslaved women by marking the influential turning points of her life. The stages included the reality and expectations throughout childhood, fertility, motherhood, marriage and lastly old age. As explained in the initial parts of the book and throughout chapter 2 and 3, having children was a big part of the life of enslaved women. Pregnancy was expected in black woman in her teens and once mothers and wives their dependency on each other grew. The bond between enslaved women grew after every child born or marriage. This relationship is further studied in chapter 4: The Female Slave Network. Enslaved women often had to fend for themselves for their husbands were either way or powerless against the white male. This chapter is the shortest chapter in Arnt I a Woman? Yet is a complete powerhouse through Whites writing. She shows in detail the impressive realization of unison among the enslaved women against the dehumanizing nature of