Tanvi Patel Mr.

Haynes Honors English II / 1B 4/3/12 Culture Analysis Paper Racism is a word that brings out the worst and best in people. On one side, racism can change an average person into a vicious monster like many of the plantation owners during slavery. However, on another side of the same coin, we find an average person who pushes for change and becomes an icon for equality for countless generations. In our society, we try so hard to hide the underlying and outlying racism, but that doesnt mean that it doesnt exist. Each day, adults, teens, and children alike, are all exposed to some type of discrimination based on race. We like to think that the Civil Rights Movement eradicated racism from our society but at the same time we forget that today, racism has become somewhat of a cultural norm. Teenagers today address one another not by name but my race or ethnicity. Suddenly, being judged by your skin color or physical features has suddenly become ok. Racism today is vastly different than the racism that existed during the time of slavery. In general, culture has changed over time but the basic idea of racism has persisted. Through the novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, we can clearly see how the degradation of African American through slavery, paved the road to culture today. Harriet Jacobs takes us deep into the life of an educated slave, and shows the horrible reality of the past. She also urges the reader to take into consideration their today and the similarities between the past and the present. The legacy of slavery has created the pathway of culture today. The legacy of slavery can also be imagined as a coin, one coin with two very distinct sides. On one side there is the hate and spite that emerges through decades of grief and pain. But,

there is also love and kindness that comes from acts of pure intentions. Jacobs does an excellent job in showing both these sides in her novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Various were the punishments resorted to. A favorite one was to tie a rope round a mans body, and suspend him from the ground. A fire was kindled over him, from which was suspended a piece of fat pork. As this cooked, the scalding drops of fat continually fell on bare flesh. (Jacobs, 41) This is a hideous thing to even think about, but the true horror is that many a slaves had to endure this for the simplest of mistakes. It is a true fact that punishments such as these do not exist in our society today, but the thought of a loved one enduring this can spark hate in the kindest of hearts. This is the legacy of slavery. The slaves are all dead but their ancestors, their blood, still lives. The descendents of slaves carry the repercussions of what was done decades ago, this is the legacy of slavery. Then, there are those who cant bring themselves to hate because of kindness. My mistress was so kind to me that I was always glad to do her bidding, and proud to labor for her as much as my young years would permit. I would sit by her side for hours, sewing diligently When she thought I was tired, she would send me out to run and jump. (Jacobs, 10) This side of the coin is held up only because of people like this mistress; those who do not lose their humanity in the name of slavery. Just as the cycle of hate carries on, the cycle of kindness continues. These slaves are just as dead as those who were tortured, but instead of hate in the hearts of their ancestors there is love. In the end, it comes to these two emotions, hate and love, and these are the emotions that represent the legacy of slavery. Yet, there is still another side to the legacy of slavery; slavery changed culture, it changed peoples ideals, goals, and values. Most people would agree with this statement because of they know that the slaves culture was stolen from them, but many dont see the effects on others and even the effects that last today.

If there is one aspect of slavery in America that did not revolve around race, it is the effects on culture that slavery had. Blacks were not the only ones who changed, in some cases; it was the white people who really went through a complete culture change. Harriet Jacobss Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, shows this very well. The slaveholders sons are, of course, vitiated, even while boys, by the unclean influences everywhere around them. Nor do the masters daughters always escape The white daughters early hear their parents quarreling about some female slave They are attended by the young slave girls whom their father has corrupted They know that the women slaves are subject to their fathers authority in all things; and in some cases they exercise the same authority over the men slaves. ( Jacobs 46) It is despicable that fathers would be the downfall of their own children. This quote clearly expresses the loss of family values in the era of slavery. After all, when a husband doesnt respect his wife, when a father teaches his son how to take advantage of a defenseless woman, and when a father leads his daughter to her own ruin, there is no family. Common values, such as respect, integrity, and justice are lost in this society; simply because parents no longer teach their children and so the values dont get passed on. It this same lack of values that plagues society today. Our lifestyle has become so fast and self-obsessed that few parents take the time to teach and enforce good values to their children. Believe it or not, slavery has a hand in this; before the time of slavery, family values were extremely important and disgrace to the family was unacceptable. Then, when slavery took over culture, it made disgrace more common and in turn made it more acceptable. If disgrace is less of a problem, teaching values becomes less of a priority and so society goes towards a downwards spiral. On the other hand, the blacks actually began a new culture. The white people tried to oppress the black people; they took family away from each other and allowed very little time or tolerance for culture or traditions. Even after all these attempts, the blacks kept their faith, they

kept their family values, and above all, they kept their integrity. My master had power and law on his side; I had a determined will. There is might in each. (Jacobs, 131) The will is what kept these people going and that is what helped them survive countless tortures. In the end, the will of the black people did fight the power of the white people but it also laid the pathway to society today. Many times those without power or money are undermined and their rights are lessened; while those with power gain more rights than they should have and are given an extreme amount of importance. Today, we can see that the voice of an average worker is unheard but the voice of a powerful CEO never goes unheard. Yet, there is still the fact that when a thousand voices gather, they can still beat the power of one. It is the same will that the slaves showed that today countless people are showing around the world. They want change and they have the will to fight for it