Memory Believes Before Knowing Remembers

Richard Wright does a great job of depicting the trajectory of his logic and reason throughout the early years of his life. His story of lighting the curtains, and half of his house on fire at age four, is a useful analogy of Wrights quest for knowledge. From Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass' books, I learned that knowledge and the quest to understand the world for what it really is, is a crucial part in attaining ones freedom and autonomy. When reading the text, Wright attains two types of knowledge, knowledge of advise and knowledge of experience. In his story of burning the curtains, Wright tests the advise of his mother (to keep quiet and stay out of trouble) and brother (that lighting the curtains is wrong) by choosing to go forth with the experiment. He burns half of his house down, gets beat unconscious and thrown into a fever for days after, but what does he learn? I think he learns that some knowledge and the quest to achieve it, can be deadly. If the experience it takes to answer ones questions doesn't kill you, the social environment that looks down upon attaining such knowledge can surely bring one close to death as well. This is seen again when the "uncle" that Aunt Maggie was dating, kills a woman and burns down her house. Richard attains the knowledge that this man killed someone, but he was unable to share this knowledge with anyone, for fear of being lynched.

Following the growth of Wrights knowledge in these first couple chapters, I also begin to see a struggle between the knowledge that is spoken to him and the knowledge that he gains through experience. He is raised with the Christian morals of his parents and grandparents, but he has a hard time applying what he sees everyday to such standards. We see this conflict surface when he so kindly tells his grandmother to kiss his ass, oblivious to crossroads of religion and culture he just reached. This struggle is present in his experience of beating the neighborhood bullies in order to get groceries for his mother as well. Wright is sent into confusion when his mother repeatedly sends him back to deal with the bullies. Eventually he is given a stick, and he must physically break his preconceived conceptions of fighting as improper, in order to survive reality.

What becomes more and more interesting is his knowledge of race and racism. I really enjoyed reading the conversation on page 48, between Wright and his mother. He is trying to ascertain whether his grandmother is black or white, his mother, speaking quite carefully on the subject, relays the facts to him, but refrains from applying reason, emotion or sentiment to the statements she provides. Wright is left to sort out a bunch of facts without the framework of racism to apply the reasoning behind them. I cant for certain say much more on this development, but I imagine what it would be like to read a bunch of statistics based on race, without knowing the racial context of society. It would provide me with as much confusion as Wright seems to get from his conversation with his mother.

Black Boy, Chapters 1-3

How is racism "made?" I would argue first that racism is an artificial mentality that humans create within themselves, by means of socially constructed influences. But it must begin somewhere, right? Society must get the idea from somewhere within themselves. Throughout the first three chapters of "Black Boy," the author, Richard Wright, describes his early childhood in the Southern United States. While we follow this narrative, we also witness the evolution of the notion of "blacks" and "whites" and the strict separation of the two. We meet Richard as a young, four year old boy. From page one to one hundred, we watch as a child grows into a young man, gaining more and more self awareness the more we flip the pages. At one point in the story, Richard learns that a "black" boy was beat by a "white" man. It was his understanding that it was okay for the "white" man to beat the "black" boy because surely the "white" man was the boy's father. In Richard's head, it was acceptable for a parent to beat their children. Once his mother explains to him that the "white" man was not the "black" boy's father, he is puzzled. This passage demonstrates that our narrator has no connotations attached to the words "white" and "black" in regards to labeling people. This is perhaps the first time that he views the "white" person as the "other," a separate kind of people. Wright explains that after having learned of the beating, he "...stared at ["white" people], wondering what they were really like" (24). Here, we see the young Wright consider "whites" as different from himself.

Over the progression of the the next couple chapters, we see the awareness grow, and grow into a rather negative mentality. Richard develops a fear for the "white" man, and soon, a hatred. He writes,

"The hostility of the whites had become so deeply implanted in my mind and feelings that it had lost direct connection with the daily environment in which I lived; and my reactions to this hostility fed upon itself...Tension would set in at the mere mention of whites...I had never in my life been abused by whites, but I had already become as conditioned to their existence as though I had been the victim of a thousand lynchings" (74).

This is a powerful passage. Basically, Write explains that while he had never personally been mistreated by "whites," he had a hostility "deeply implanted" in his mind towards them. This was the result of social influences; in a sense he was "trained" to have hostility towards them by his peers. Slavery continued to leave it's mark, even after it was abolished. The effects of such racism rippled out and touched even a young boy without prior prejudices.

What "makes" racism? What makes one person hate another person for no rational, reasonable, justifiable reason? I have no idea, to be honest. It is a scary thing that human beings can be capable of hating without motive; or just can hate with such passion in general. Something to note in "Black Boy" thus far is how Richard becomes racist of white people and begins to separate himself from them without fully understanding why. Racism is a two way street, in some respects; if one "race" hates another, the other "race" will inevitably hate them in return. It's a vicious cycle.

Ole' Dixies Church Below

“Ole Satan’s church is here below, Up to God’s free church I hope to go.”

Jacobs religious fervor was blinding through chapter XIII to XX. She does a great job at differentiating between Christianity and what she calls “religion at the south.” (84) I think she does this in a very interesting way in chapter XIII. The comparisons and contrasts between Reverend Mr. Pike and the” very different clergyman” (82) help the reader draw the line between the two ideologies. Jacobs places Mr. Pike as the representative of the “religion at the south,” and the “very different” clergyman as the representative of true Christianity. We first learn of Reverend Mr. Pike, Jacobs satirically uses words such as gentleman and pious when describing him. He preaches of the connection between a slaves master in heaven (God) and a slaves master on earth. Mr. Pike says, “If you disobey your earthly master, you offend your heavenly master” (80). These are the beliefs that Jacobs wants us to associate with the “religion at the south.” Instead of embodying Christian morality, they are fearful, reactionary hate speeches that use the name of God in order to quell the civil unrest amongst slaves and abolitionists. The religion at the south is defined more as a tool to install fear (for whites that slaves will rise up, and for blacks that someone is always watching) and promote complacency in slavery than a doctrine of morals and religious beliefs.
When describing the different Clergyman, Jacobs actually refers to him as god or god like amongst the slaves. His wife taught her slaves to read and write, and once that was accomplished the clergyman set about helping needy slaves around him. So from the very beginning Jacobs is attaching community service and social cooperation with true forms of Christianity. I thought that the descriptions of the themes of the clergyman’s sermons were very sophisticated. I was especially happy to hear that his sermons were “adapted to their comprehension.” (82). I took this quote to mean that the clergyman understood that Christianity meant something different to slaves than to free whites. I think it shows that this preacher knew that for slaves Christianity was the word of freedom, equality lies within the lines of it. He quoted the Bible, saying that God judges a man by his heart and not the color of his skin (83). These are the characteristics that Jacobs attaches with her conception of Christianity. She calls it a “strange doctrine,” which seems ironic at a time when bible study was common in a majority of households. She wants the reader to know that if one were to use the reason behind the Bible, that one could not condone an institution such as slavery. The only thing that could justify would be “the religion at the south.”

Kayla-Jacobs, Chapters XII-XX

It is interesting to examine religion and slavery. Jacobs offers the reader a speech by the "pious" Reverend Pike:

"Hearken, ye servants! Give strict heed unto my words. You are rebellious sinners. Your hearts are filled with all manner of evil...Instead of serving your masters faithfully, which is pleasing in the sight of your heavenly Master, you are idle, and shirk your work. God sees you. You tell lies. God hears you. Instead of being engaged in worshiping him, you are hidden away somewhere, feasting on your master's substance; tossing coffee grounds with some wicked fortuneteller, or cutting cards with another old hag. Your masters may not find out, But God sees you, and will punish you" (89).

Pike goes on to condemn slaves of their superstitious beliefs, and further splatters sin across their backs, threatening that God sees their every move and will thus punish them. Even a holy man preeches the importance of staying loyal to a slave's master. He says, "...you are quarreling, and tying up little bags of roots to bury under the door steps to poison each other with. God sees you" (89). He pokes fun at their customs, and places judgment on their actions. It is interesting how religion can be used as such a powerful tool. I realize that the extent to which religion and power could be discussed is lengthy. Seemingly, throughout history, humans have used God to justify their actions, whether it be positive or negative actions. In this situation, this supposed "holy man" is literally using God as a way to control the slaves. "God is watching you...God will punish you..." Just as if a master were to take a slave and whip them into compliance, the Reverend takes the fear of God, whips with sin and guilt and leaves lashes on the mind.

Jacobs poses the question, "Are doctors of divinity blind, or are they hypocrites?" (95). She brings up the subject of missionaries and wonders how Americans can venture out to help fellow human beings, but ignore those struggling in their own country. She wonders how Northern clergyman can come to the South and honestly be convinced that slaves are content with their way of lives. Jacobs wants to know how a man of God can describe slavery as a "beautiful patriarchal institution" (96). I would like to know, as well. As far as I know, in terms of Christianity, God is the "master." People live as equals, treating each other as they would wish to be treated. I do not believe that when a master whips a slave, they are condoning that they deserve the punishment in return. The white slave owners would defy the word of God while simultaneously using God's words to justify their inhumane actions.

Harriet Jacobs! Chapters V-XI

I try to imagine the life of a slave woman, really envelope the sense of such woeful degradation, the victim of inconceivable evils. It's difficult. It's difficult to fathom my lips speaking and no one listening. I'm just a body, with curves and breasts. I am just a piece of property. I am just an object of labor, as well as lust--an inexplicably cruel lust. For the master not only wants to possess my freedom, he needs to possess my body as well, even my skin color which he despises. He still wants me. I am at the center of a convoluted world where I am hated and desired simultaneously, pushed and pulled at the same time to the point where it's painful. It's difficult to imagine such an existence. And the fact that this was Harriet Jacobs' reality is haunting to me. Harriet Jacobs was subject to disgusting behavior by her master--he never ceased to make lude comments and press his sexual attraction upon her. So, Harriet becomes pregnant, viewing it as a way to be sold. She could escape his control and distasteful behavior. However, after the deed is done, she realizes that she has lost her purity, her last control of self. She says, "But, O, ye happy women, whose purity has been sheltered from childhood, who have been free to choose the objects of your affection, whose homes are protected by law, do not judge the poor desolate slave girl too severely! If slavery had been abolished, I also, could have married the man of my choice" (69). Though she does not claim ignorance, and she acknowledges that her actions were not thoughtless, but she directs much of the blame to slavery, and rightfully so. She became desperate, overwhelmed by a sense of desolation, wrought with fear, and condemned by her circumstances to collide with moments of weakness. She writes, "I tried hard to preserve my self-respect; but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of demon Slavery; and the monster proved too strong for me," (71). Despite her pregnancy, despite her despair and uncertainty, I know, without further reading that this is not her downfall--and that is not only because there are several pages remaining to the book. In the few weeks that we have been studying African American Literature, I have noticed in awe the will-power, the strength of these individuals. Perhaps that is the only singular beautiful thing that emerged from slavery. These people, pushed to break, subjects to incalculable hardships, seemed to find within themselves the will to carry on, the strength to see the next day. I feel genuine admiration for these individuals. Their strength is beautiful. I hate that they needed to dig that deep, that they were forced to search so far within themselves for hope to survive. But, I think that their integrity is something to be illuminated with renowned and everlasting light.

Harriet Jacobs is a helluva woman

When reading the first chapters of Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, I could not help but to compare and contrast it with the previous reading of Frederick Douglass’s narrative. One of the most apparent things both authors have in common is the use of biblical references. She uses the biblical passage “Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them.” Jacobs however, hearkens more towards using the proper morality provided in the text of the bible, while Douglass uses the hypocrisy of slavery and Christianity to discredit the slaveholders religious grounds.
The strongest language I found in reading the first few chapters was Jacob’s discussions and experiences with death; particularly the idea of death being better than slavery. When her father dies, it’s her grandmother who comforts her by saying “Perhaps they have been kindly taken from the evil days to come.” (pg 16). The thought that death can be an escape from the cruelties of chattel slavery and in the eyes of a slave, the world, is incredibly powerful. The reader cannot help but be petrified by the idea that death is better than slavery, but Jacobs does a great job at evoking that thought. She does another great job of doing so when describing the death a mother and the child she gave birth to on page 20. Because she is giving birth to the child of her master, the mistress goes to unmeasured lengths of cruelty in order to get revenge. She allows the woman’s child to die, and leaves her in a room screaming in agony. Jacobs speaks beautifully when she ands the chapter with “The poor black woman had but the one child, whose eyes she saw closing in death, while she thanked god for taking her away from the greater bitterness of life.”