Kris Maulden's Questions - April 20/21
This week we'll be discussing pp. 49-164 of William Wells Brown's Clotel. Also, you should read pp. 8-17, which explains the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings that is the basis for the novel. You'll also need to read it to understand some parts of the lectures on slavery, so be sure to get to it. With all of that said, here are the questions:
1. What similarities and differences do you see between Brown's autobiography and the first half of the novel? Where does the novel allow him to expand on his own feelings and experiences with slavery to criticize it?
2. This question is more philosophical, but it is worth discussing. The University of Missouri's policy on sexual harassment (for your own knowledge, you can find the whole policy here) forbids University students and staff from any actions that may "create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment." Harvard's policy reminds "those with authority not to abuse, nor to seem to abuse, the power with which they are entrusted." With that in mind, is there something fundamentally wrong with relationships between Jefferson and Hemings (or any slaveholder and his slave)? More specifically, is it possible for Sally Hemings to consent of her free will? If not, then what does that say about Jefferson and other slaveholders who did the same thing with their slaves?
1. What similarities and differences do you see between Brown's autobiography and the first half of the novel? Where does the novel allow him to expand on his own feelings and experiences with slavery to criticize it?
2. This question is more philosophical, but it is worth discussing. The University of Missouri's policy on sexual harassment (for your own knowledge, you can find the whole policy here) forbids University students and staff from any actions that may "create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment." Harvard's policy reminds "those with authority not to abuse, nor to seem to abuse, the power with which they are entrusted." With that in mind, is there something fundamentally wrong with relationships between Jefferson and Hemings (or any slaveholder and his slave)? More specifically, is it possible for Sally Hemings to consent of her free will? If not, then what does that say about Jefferson and other slaveholders who did the same thing with their slaves?
posted by Anonymous at 3:37 PM
2 Comments:
I think that there could be something wrong with the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings. I think that it is wrong for an authority to make advances to a subordinate. It is wrong for them to use their power to force a person to become romantically involved with them and whether they use their power or not it still puts the underling in an awkward position. In most cases the subordinate feels obligated to give in to the person in authority. I believe that woman of today have no excuse, however, because they can say no and file a complaint. The person in authority will be held accountable and the subordinate will go without punishment.
About the relationship between slaves and their masters, and more particularly Jefferson and Hemmings: every relationship is different. There are two extremes in this case that from an outside view we could not know. One extreme is that they were in love and they had a relationship and therefore there was nothing wrong with their actions. The other extreme is that she could have been raped and no one would have been the wiser since she did not speak against this powerful man. It was probably somewhere in between, but not anywhere near love since he ended up selling her and his children from her into slavery. In many cases it may be safe to say that there was power exerted over the slave, but because of third-party bias, you could never actually know.
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