The definition of courageous is someone who is not deterred by danger or pain. While reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, there are many characters that would be considered courageous, but one character fits the definition the best. This character did many uncharacteristic things that she would normally not expect herself to do. She put herself in danger just so she could protect their child. Eliza Harris is the most courageous character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin because of her decision to run away, crossing the Ohio River, avoiding several slave catchers, and changing her appearance. Eliza Harris had everything a slave could ever hope for. She had a wonderful life at the Shelby’s household. Eliza was never beaten, nor severely punished. The Shelby’s …show more content…
The river was frozen and she had to leap across as the ice continued to break. She could have easily died, but chose to take the risk while carrying her son. Eliza’s feet were cut and left a blood trail after every step, but the pain was dulled when she made it to safety. After a couple days, Eliza ends up meeting back up with her husband, George, and they planned their escape to Canada. Phineas Fletcher offers to take them to their next destination. When a slave catcher, Tom Loker, and his company caught up to them, Eliza and her husband had to respond quickly to their fear. One of the slave catchers fired their gun at the two. George sprang backward, Eliza uttered a shriek, and the ball had passed close to his hair, had nearly grazed the cheek of his wife, and struck in the tree above (Stowe 1852, 216). Eliza was almost hit by the bullet. In this life or death situation she luckily came out alive. Tom Loker ends up getting shot, but she is not deterred by the possibility of danger with him. Instead of leaving him to die, she decides that he needs to live and they end up at a farmhouse an hour …show more content…
She knew that Marks, one of the slave catchers, was waiting on the boat ready to spot Eliza and her company. Eliza also had to give her child to Mrs. Smyth for awhile to prevent the obvious sight of a mother and child. This is one of the few moments when Eliza is not with her child, but she knew she needed to take the risk. Dressed in men’s clothes, Eliza, along with everyone else, safely got on the boat without any recognition. As the boat drifted away from the slave catcher, Eliza and her family were finally safe and
Following the introductions, details about Eliza Suggs’s memories of slavery are expressed. It begins with telling the story of his birth and being auctioned off away from his twin brother when he was just three years old. Then Eliza Suggs continues telling her father’s story by discussing his time serving in the Union army and becoming a preacher. After describing her father’s experiences, Suggs describes her mother’s birth. She tells of the anxieties her mother felt when she was separated from her husband during the Civil War. Suggs also discusses her mother’s educational background and the treatment she endured as a slave. In the final section of her narrative, Eliza Suggs delineates the circumstance of her birth and struggles suffering with the rickets throughout her childhood. She also describes the portion of her life when her condition improves an...
Eliza’s blatant disregard for the concern of those around her contributed heavily to her demise. Had she listened to her friends and family when they told her to marry Mr...
Eliza's assaults against True Womanhood are violations of the virtues submissiveness and purity. When Eliza refuses to ignore the gallantry of Major Sanford in favor of the proposals of Reverend Boyer despite the warnings of her friends and mother, she disregards submissiveness in favor of her own fanc...
A recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobs's reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and beaten regularly like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually, Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to perform other tasks associated with a ?ladies? work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes were actually her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet became a prospective concubine for Dr. Norcom. She points out that life under slavery was as bad as any slave could hope for. Harriet talks about her life as slave by saying, ?You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another.? (Jacobs p. 55).
Courage is when you know you’re beaten. The character Atticus, for instance, who was a seasoned lawyer acted courageous defending Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was a black man who was accused of raping a white girl. Atticus was appointed to defend him. Jem was happy because he thought his father had won the case but Reverend Sykes loathed telling Jem “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”(Lee 208). Atticus was sure he wasn’t going to win the case, nevertheless he gave it a try. That didn’t stop Atticus from trying to defend his client Tom Robinson. Another part in the novel when Atticus was courageous was when he shot at the man street dog. Heck Tate the Maycomb Sheriff was not as courageous as Atticus so he handed Atticus the air rifles and with one shot Atticus took down the street dog. Miss Maudie says “I saw that, One Shot Finch” (Lee 97). Atticus was referred to as one-shot finch because of his shooting skills. The other incidence in the novel when Atticus portrays courage was when he was not scared when Bob Ewell threatened him. Bob Ewell was the man who accused Atticus’ defendant Tom Robinson of raping his daughter Mayella. Atticus thought Bob Ewell threatened him as some sort of revenge, but unfortunately Atticus was wrong because when Bob Ewell said ...
In her story Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs presents what life was like living as a female slave during the 19th century. Born into slavery, she exhibits, to people living in the North who thought slaves were treated fairly and well, how living as a slave, especially as a female slave during that time, was a heinous and horrible experience. Perhaps even harder than it was if one had been a male slave, as female slaves had to deal with issues, such as unwanted sexual attention, sexual victimization and for some the suffering of being separated from their children. Harriet Jacobs shows that despite all of the hardship that she struggled with, having a cause to fight for, that is trying to get your children a better life
Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl. 2nd Edition. Edited by Pine T. Joslyn. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, INC., 2001.
In Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs recalls her experiences of being a slave through the eyes of Linda Brent. Linda held no knowledge of being a piece of property through her childhood. When she turned six, her childhood vanished. Although she was still a child, she had to mature at a much accelerated rate than children who were not slaves, or of color. Throughout Linda’s life of a slave girl, she depended on substantial family tethers as a source of perseverance, support, and aspirations for a superior life. In a few ways, these tethers can be perceived as a blessing in disguise. Even though Linda’s support system served as an extensive force ultimately leading her to
“Eliza, John and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing room: she lay reclined on the sofa by the fireplace and her darlings about her…”
"Eliza, John and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room... Me, she had dispensed from joining the group" (chapter)
Ellis’ did not care much for this strike and describes it as a political move. She describes the Miners Union’s decision to join the strike as foolish and believes that the miners were coerced into joining. She wasn’t against strikes in general but didn’t like this one because of how it dragged out and hurt her financially. Following the strike her daughter Joy falls ill with diphtheria. The strikes financial effect, along with medical bills had forced her to start working. This was a particular stressful time in her life and it continued downhill. One day Ellis was getting ready for an upcoming social event and was reading a book to pass the time while her hair curled. Her daughter Joy, laying sick in bed, asked for a drink of water. Ellis tells her other daughter to get Joy a drink. Her other daughter is also reading a book and doesn’t move. Ellis hears a gurgle sound come from her daughters bed, but it was too late her daughter had
The dictionary definition of courage is bravery or boldness. In the set texts of Little Women and Treasure Island, courage is defined through the interaction of the characters, the situation and their reactions to it. Thus, there are different aspects of courage explored throughout the texts resulting in either in physical or psychological pain or a mixture to the characters.
Despite an attractive interpretation that Eliza Wharton deserves her tragic fate because she is too scandalous of a seductress, her fall is actually a result of her desire for autonomy in a society that denies women that right. Also, to view Sanford as a heartless villain would be reductionary. He too, like Eliza, is subject to the judgements, constraints, and values of a flawed society in which he is separated from his true love. Both characters fall as a result of their desire for relational freedoms that early American society denies them.
In conclusion, women were considered property and slave holders treated them as they pleased. We come to understand that there was no law that gave protection to female slaves. Harriet Jacob’s narrative shows the true face of how slaveholders treated young female slave. The female slaves were sexually exploited which damaged them physically and psychologically. Furthermore it details how the slave holder violated the most sacred commandment of nature by corrupting the self respect and virtue of the female slave. Harriet Jacob writes this narrative not to ask for pity or to be sympathized but rather to show the white people to be aware of how female slaves constantly faced sexual exploitation which damaged their body and soul.
I don’t matter, I suppose’” (Berst 99). Eliza’s actions can be felt as a Cinderella impulse coming from her (Berst 99). Eliza worked hard to get through the lessons with Higgins and had won that bet, so she deserves the credit for the hard work she put in. It seems that Eliza at this point is lonely and probably wanted someone in her life to tell her she was doing the right thing, she has accomplished things she wanted to do for herself.