Frances Harper The Slave Mother

The Slave Mother by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

The Slave Mother by Frances Harper illustrates the African mom in slavery. This poem was written in third person limited. The author choose to tell the story in the voice of the witness, describes the painful, desperate process that children could be separated from their parents and sold to a different master. As an abolitionist writer who is trying to persuade the audience, Harper wants to deliver the messages to the white mothers during that time because it allowed white women to realize the pain that so many slave mothers went through during slavery. For instance, the babies are often become slaves by birth, which follow their mother. The phrase "He is not hers" is being repeated three times

This poem was written in third person limited and the voice that tells the story is Lowell, which she had captured the emotions of the slaves who were forced to make the decision that goes against their morality. As Lowell who become heavily involved in Women’s Right and Anti Slavery movements, she wrote this poem that encouraged abolitionists and exemplifies the pain and suffering of an enslaved mother. Back in the day slave mothers killing their children was very common. This mother is having an internal conflict to decide if she shall leave her daughter to live but end up in slavery and will become like her in the future or the daughter shall dies so she doesn’t has to suffer in this extreme slavery life.This poem tells stories that was a reality for many women, and reveals the desperation these women felt. Similar to the poem by Harper, this mother is also loves her child every much even though it’s a result from rape. The tone is also painful, desperate as Lowell describes the mother “... cannot bear to know her child must be as she hath been” and praying “god great my little helpless one in helplessness may die