These four dramas did not operate in isolation, of course, but understanding the dynamics of each paints a more complete picture of how the trade was able to flourish for almost 400 years and how it finally was able to be stopped. Rediker's thesis spoke about the four dramas that were played out on the ships by “the ship captain, the motley crew, the multi-ethnic enslaved, and towards the end of the period, middle-class abolitionists” (6). These smaller stories within one set setting is what makes this book and its intent so brilliant. We hear tragic incidents such as “they died from starvation” or “they got separated from their family” and that’s it; that’s where most people stop at. Rediker forces the reader to acknowledge the depth in these
stories, which what makes this book so intriguing yet so hard to read. Starting the first “drama”, as Rediker puts it, is the relationship between a captain and his crew. These relationships varied in the ways they worked some great, some harsh but consistent patterns of cruelty was most prominent. The first three struggles were onboard: between slave-ship captains and their crew; between sailors and African captives; and amongst slaves of different tribal groups. The fourth drama occurred throughout the British Empire as abolitionists fought to end the slave trade using slave ships as the ultimate symbol of oppression The first drama highlights the relationship between the captain of the ship and his own crew. Captains with their brutal nature did not hold back on these sailors either, whether it was having to receive low portions of meals or being physically beaten. The captain of the ship was seen as the very big boss. This drama is then tied to the second drama, the relationship between the sailors and the slaves. This was then came the second human drama, which depicts the inhumane treatment towards slaves from the sailors. This entire drama elucidates on the horrors such as but not limited to: rape, forced feeding, and violence. The slaves and sailors served as the “actors” in this scene. This pain and hurt from sailors was yet able to unite slaves to stay together, work together, fight together. Thus transitioning to the third drama, describing the efforts slaves put in to survive in the situation they were in. Following right after was the third drama, in which was made up of all the slaves aboard all from different tribes who worked together to survive their painful journey, also known as one of the most horrible experiences any living being could have gone through. The bittersweet cooperation and complication amongst the slaves themselves united all slaves of different age, gender, and social classes to become indestructible despite the immense amount of pain on their backs trying to break them down. From words of encouragement to words of wisdom, the survivors left with more than just pain. After leaving, this left a huge impact on history after that, what society has come to is described in what is labeled as the fourth drama.
In the text “Seeing Red: American Indian Women Speaking about their Religious and Cultural Perspectives” by Inés Talamantez, the author discusses the role of ceremonies and ancestral spirituality in various Native American cultures, and elaborates on the injustices native women face because of their oppressors.
2 John Bowe, author of Nobodies: Modern Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy said if he could sum up what his book was about it would be “we all seek control. Control equals power. Power corrupts. Corruption makes us blind, tyrannical, and desperate to justify our behavior” (268). He is writing about the slave trade happening in our own Land of the Free. He wants Americans to be aware of the slave trade and recognize that it is not only happening in other countries, but effects items we use in our everyday lives, like the clothes we wear and the food we eat. As he is an immersion reporter, he visits three different sites of slavery: Florida, Tulsa, and Saipan. The stories and facts in this book are all from people who experienced some aspect of the abuses he writes about, whether a victim, a lawyer, or just a witness to the heinous crimes. He is not satisfied with half truths, which seem to fly at him, especially from those who did the abusing he was talking about, he does his research well and I appreciated that while reading this book.
“There is in fact no such thing as an instantaneous photograph. All photographs are time exposures, of shorter or longer duration, and each describes a discrete parcel of time.” -John Szarkowski
I do not totally agree, nor do I totally disagree, with the point about grammar that Kyle Wiens’ argues in his article. As an employer, Wiens has the right to make any of his potential employees write a grammar test and deny jobs to those with poor grammar. In my own experience, I notice that people who have poor grammar skills tend to be less meticulous in their work, just as Wiens suggests in the article. Good grammar is virtually paramount for businesses such as the ones owned by Wiens, which are heavily language based. As well, especially in the new millennium, quality workers and employees are becoming increasingly harder to find among the expanding, figurative sea of qualified post-secondary graduates. Thus, I agree with Wiens’ policy of making all of his potential employees write a grammar test. His policy seems like an effective way of determining the best possible people to hire.
One of the major questions asked about the slave trade is ‘how could so Europeans enslave so many millions of Africans?” Many documents exist and show historians what the slave trade was like. We use these stories to piece together what it must have been to be a slave or a slaver. John Barbot told the story of the slave trade from the perspective of a slaver in his “A Description of the Coasts of North and South Guinea.” Barbot describes the life of African slaves before they entered the slave trade.
The novel, 'Heroes' is written by Robert Cormier and was published in 1998. It is set in Frenchtown, America, between 1940 and 1945, during the Second World War and explores the themes of guilt, compassion and heroism. It is about Francis Cassavant, who desires revenge from his relationship with his friend Larry LaSalle. The plot creates tension and suspense and explores how and why Francis has returned from the Second World War to kill Larry.
One of the amazing things about the story is the level of description and imagery that Douglass uses to describe the suffering around him. The excerpt spans a mere three days, but most of the text focuses on his abuse and battle with Mr. Covey. Douglass skips over the common parts of his life to further his case against slavery. By doing this, the Northerners rea...
“The Rattler” is a story that is written by Donald Beattie that expresses a survival and protective tone to persuade readers to side with the man that killed the snake in order to protect a larger community of animals and humans. Beattie is presenting the story to a large group of people in attempt to persuade them. Beattie uses imagery, simile, and pathos to develop a root of persuasion and convince the audience to reanalyze the man’s actions.
There are three things in the article that is very compelling to me as a reader, the living conditions of the slaves in the ships, the rape the women faced, and the punishment styles the rebellious slaves had to endure. What they endured was almost like hell on earth, it was almost genocide, but without the intention of genocide.
The issue of Slavery in the South was an unresolved issue in the United States during the seventeenth and eighteenth century. During these years, the south kept having slavery, even though most states had slavery abolished. Due to the fact that slaves were treated as inferior, they did not have the same rights and their chances of becoming an educated person were almost impossible. However, some information about slavery, from the slaves’ point of view, has been saved. In this essay, we are comparing two different books that show us what being a slave actually was. This will be seen with the help of two different characters: Linda Brent in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Frederick Douglass in The Narrative of the life of Frederick
conditions aboard ship were dreadful. The maximum number of slaves was jammed into the hull, chained to forestall revolts or suicides by drowning. Food, ventilation, light, and sanitatio...
We discussed the details and differences between the types of slavery mentioned in the book, and they became just as confused and angry as I was.... ... middle of paper ... ... This book is also one of the first non-fiction books that I’ve had to write a reaction to.
The story clearly illustrates that when one thinks of their ideal lifestyle they mainly rely on their personal experience which often results in deception. The theme is conveyed by literary devices such as setting, symbolism and iconic foreshadowing. The abolition of slavery was one step forward but there are still several more steps to be made. Steps that protect everyone from human trafficking and exploitation. Most importantly, racism is something that needs to stop, as well as providing equal opportunity to all without discrimination.
Rediker, Marcus. The Slave Ship A Human History. New York, New York: Penguin Group, 2007. Print.
The setting for this novel was a constantly shifting one. Taking place during what seems to be the Late Industrial Revolution and the high of the British Empire, the era is portrayed amongst influential Englishmen, the value of the pound, the presence of steamers, railroads, ferries, and a European globe.