Slave Treatment

In modern day society we have heard of the barbaric interaction of slave masters and the african slaves. There have been many illustrations, short stories, poem and novels written about slavery. Slave masters have a authoritarian attitude to the slaves they have owned, to which they enforced rules,  punishments that were physical, to constantly work because they are people that keep the economy flourishing for the white men. The illustration and novel Oroonoko by Aphra Behn when compared, emphasizes two different point of views of how slave masters treated their slaves.

In the New York Public Library’s Digital Collection on Slavery, the most eye captivating illustration was the Sugar Plantation. This image depicts the hard work slaves were being put through. In the image it is black and white with blue hues and there are 3 male African slaves who are tending to the sugar canes. They are all shirtless and shoeless, must be summer. One is digging into the soil, another one besides him cutting into the cane with a machete and another crouched down working onto the soil. Whilst the three men are fixated on working, there is a white man standing by with some distance. The white man/master is fully clothes from head to toe, wearing a big brim hat, cigarette or toothpick in his mouth and with great posture. It can be seen the white man has high authority, with his left hand on his hips and right hand holding a whip and a pistol in his belt. He watches over them, possibly to make sure no mistakes are being created. Over in the distance of the image, there is slave worker and a master, the slave worker is crouched down, legs apart with his back faced to the master, the master with his hand raised is whipping the worker.

This illustrations shows what slaves went through, this image is like a small snippet as to what they endured throughout their life of captivation. They work all day long in the scorching heat and even brutal winters while the white men standing watching over them. This evokes the emotions of melancholy because this has happened in the past and it is gut wrenching that these were real human beings that went through this and many people stayed as slaves till death, so this sort of injustice comes into light. Even today in other countries slavery is still prevalent but there’s not enough recognition or many of us turn a blind eye.

This image is like a parallel into time, because we as a new time/era see images like this and see the dehumanization and atrocities of slavery but in those times it was always considered a norm in society. As a viewer of this image, you can almost tell the backstory of these slaves, you can assume they were taken from their homes, bought and sold to only work on fields and for a white master.

In the novel, Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, the protagonist Oroonoko is taken into slavery by deceit, he is sold off to a young man named Trefry. Their relationship is very different from the typical slave master and slave relationship. In the novel Trefry is sympathetic to Oroonoko and his struggles, he almost does not treat him with authority as a master but rather as a friend. There are 2 instances where Trefry treats Oroonoko sympathetically, for example in the novel when Oroonoko is bought by Trefry, “ he promised him on his word and honour, he would find the means to reconduct him to his own country again” (Behn, 42)  as a reader, it comes to a surprise that a master upon meeting a slave that he just bought would promise to send the slave back home. This is a promise that allows Trefry and Oroonoko to have a friendship, because Trefry shows empathy that this slave that he had, was of royalty and that being a slave would not fit his characteristics. Trefry gives Oroonoko a new name, Caesar ; he gave this name that most fit his appearance and character. Another moment in the novel where Trefry is displaying kindness, is when he reunites the two lost lovers, Oroonoko and Imoinda. “Trefry was infentiley pleased with this novel, and found this Clemene was the fair mistress of whom Caesar had before spoke, and was not a little satisfied that Heaven was so kind to the prince  as to sweeten his misfortune by so lucky accident” ( Behn 47) This prove to show that he was a friend rather than a master, he shows that he wholeheartedly listened to Oroonoko’s tragedies, that he felt in his part of being a supportive friend, he needed to reunite them together.

When the Sugar plantation illustration and novel Oroonoko are compared, the masters are what create the environment of what it feels to be enslaved or to feel like an actual person. The sugar plantation illustration shows how masters kept their slaves under them by using whips or even carrying them around, used as a scare tactic. The masters are trying to reinforce a behavior and that is to do the work efficiently and no mistakes are to be made and to instill fear. Wherehas in Oroonoko, Trefry the master, helps out Oroonoko and treats him as a person. He does not instill fear in Oroonoko but rather shows a side that Oroonoko did not think a master would have towards him, showing tenderness and sincerity. He promises to send him back to his country and even reunites Oroonoko of his lost love. These two works highlight the different types a treatment would receive from a master, also allowing reader to understand in the time where slavery was prominent, many people tend to forget in the midst of all the scary and barbaric masters, there must have been some compassionate and caring masters.

 

It is seen that in both works, highlight the theme of the different master-slave relationships. In the illustration of Sugar Plantation and Oroonoko, there are two different treatments the slaves receive, the slaves that are working in the slave plantation they have their masters watching over the work and have this persona of power and authority. However, in Oroonoko, also known as Caesar, his master Trefry treats him with the utmost respect and acts as friend. These two works portray the two different acts/ treatments  a master can treat their slaves, whether it be cruel and barbaric or with kindness and sympathy. Also shows that within humanity, there is dehumanization and compassion for others rolled, it just takes a person to choose which path on how to treat another human being.

 

Work cited

Behn, Aphra. Oroonoko, edited by Janet Todd, Penguin, 2004.

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. “Sugar plantation.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-491d-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

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                                     Slave Advertisment in Equiano

    A slave advertisement from The New York Public Library Digital Collections reads:

“To be sold on board the Ship Blance Ylard on tuefday the 6th of May next, at Afhley-

Ferry; a choice cargo of about 250 fine healthy NEGROS, just arrived from the

Windward & Rice Coaft. —-The utmoft care has already been taken, and shall be

continued, to keep them free from the leaft danger of being infected with SMALL-POX,

no boat having been on board, and all other communication with people from Charles-

Town prevented. Auftin, Laurens & Applebys.” (sic). The slave advertisement gives the

reader the idea that this is provided to a newpapers out in Charles-Town, which sounds

like Charleston. The viewer is not clear who composed this advertisment, however, the

language behind this advertisement clearly describes that healthy black people coming

from Windward & Rice Coaft are in fact physically healthy and free of small-pox. If a

masters is in need of a slave to do work such as maid, cotton picking etc. The

advertisement is being promoted by white slave traders, nonetheless which clearly

obvious, as a way to give the slaveholders a greater chances of having healthy people

do all the field work without getting sick. The sign also indicates as they were boarded

on the ship the majority of them were made sure they received the minimum vaccination

in order to prevent disease from Africa traveling to the United States or England. At the

bottom of the advertisement, it carries out a safe “warning”. None of the black people on

the board have been infected by any disease whatsoever, and were likely given a

vaccination before being boarded to the ships. The advertisement reveals that its

audience has no knowledge of these peoples’ families, lives or history, and therefore,

the reader can make the assumption that this advertisement objectifies

and dehumanizes the people it describes. They are describe more as livestock instead

of animals due to the sign indicating they are in perfect condition to work depending on

what the master tells them.  

   What other contextual elements would be needed in order to analyze this

advertisement further? The condition of the slaves indicates the majority are physically

in-shape and free of disease , whereas they are available to work. The slaveowners are

also responsible for there slaves physical condition as read “ The utmoft care has

already been taken, and shall be continued, to keep them free from the leaft danger of

being infected with SMALL-POX”. And lastly, slave owners are told the slaves do not

know the English language well so they are prevented from having outside

communications from anyone in Charles-Town.

   Olaudah Equiano, who wrote The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah

Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, first published in 1789 was born in the Eboe province of

Africa. While he was a young child, his sister and himself were seize by kidnappers and

sold off to slave traders. The ship was not a place to get comfortable, you are assigned

a bunker to lay in while chained awaiting arrival. Equiano states, “We did not know what

to think of this; but as the vessel drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other

ships different kinds and sizes: and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town.

Many merchants and planters now came on board thought it was in the evening.” (60)

More than one ship arrived to the land of Africa sending off its’ merchants to go “hunt”

down Africans to auction or sell newly found slaves to the superior. Equiano’s emphasis

on the size of the ships and their capacity for slaves serves to highlight how great of an

impact the slave trade had on the African populations. And as for the merchants, they

held it in there power to make wise choices, but chose a negative trait which involved

attempting to taunt the slaves in exchange for a physical altercation even violating the

women (who also had children).

   Equiano had no other choice but to imagine being given another fate which included

being left for dead instead of shipped off to slavery. Other times he heard bitter cries of

the other slaves who fear each day for there safety that was haunting them. Equaino

stated, “We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as they appeared to

us; and, when soon after we were all put down down under the deck again, there was

much dread and trembling among us and nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the

night from these apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got old slaves

from the land to pacify us.” (60) Because slaves were not expected to understand the

English language or written word, the audience for this advertisement was likely white

slave owners. Similarly, in Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative, we can also

see how Equaino emphasizes the cruel objectification of slaves, particularly during the

Middle Passage. The majority also had women slaves on board expecting to give birth

while on a ship with the bottom of the bow constantly shaken. Women would cried all of

the night as the white people would come out of the blue to violate the women. This

even included throwing the babies into the water without consideration.

   The advertisement even permits taking the rights of a slave away which also includes

capturing them from their own homeland. Equiano questions, “Is it not enough that we

are torn from our country and friends to toil for your luxury and lust of gain? Must every

tender feeling be likewise sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and

relations, now rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be

parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of slavery with the

small comfort of being together and mingling their sufferings and sorrows?” (61). This

sign indicates to the slave owners they will make a quick buck of the work being done

for them. Because slaves were taken away from Africa divided them from there friends

and family, the audience is aware that the slaves were aware that the white man is

making a quick buck on off them without being considerate of the fact they tarnished

there life. No matter how much slaves are likely to suffer suffer, slave owners will

constantly receive unearned praise living off on the pain and suffering of slaves. They

are not worry about the dangers of the slaves as long as it meant to do there work

without even being paid to do so.  

   The advertisement of shipping off slaves to the mainland (America or United

Kingdom) sent out a message that anyone looking for slaves was in luck as they were

clean and healthy. This advertisement caused many downfalls for black people such as

being captured and distant from their love ones, the possibly raping of women which

occur on the boat, and the selfish use of slaves for wealth and greed. The audience

acknowledges what the sign and the reading of the story describe its’ targets whereas it

was dehumanizing.

 

 

Work Cited

Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings, edited by Vincent Carretta,   Penguin, 2003.

To be sold, on board the ship Bance Island, … negroes, just arrived from the Windward & Rice Coast by Austin, Laurens & Appleby. 1940-1960