Three Arguments What the Life of a Slave Was like in Hannah’s Eyes

Betty Smith

Period FG

1/28/15

Give three arguments/examples that show what the life of a slave was like in Hannah’s eyes

Hannah’s intellectual abilities was very unlike many of her fellow slaves. Her manuscript describes how the lives of slaves were dependent on the mercy of their masters. Their masters had the ability to completely control them mentally and physically. The slave workers had become machines, and no one cared until their machine was well-oiled and ready for work. Hannah was aware of this due to her crude yet rare education. She sees how even the wealthy, like her unnamed mistress, live at risk. In times like these racism ran so deep that just being associated by accident with the black race lead to humiliation. Her experiences with education, her first mistress, and her second, Mrs. Wheeler paint a picture of what life was like in slavery. This diary exemplifies how the institution of slavery hurt whites, as well as blacks.

As a young child Hannah seemed to have no physical talent, and it was the common precedent that no one would take interest until the child could work. Hannah had no family to teach her the ways of life, the only thing she knew was the wishes of her masters and the examples of her fellow workers. However, Hannah had a desire to learn and the want for means of mental improvement. Her master did not believe in education for slaves. Educated slaves became more self aware and less subservient to their masters. Perhaps this was true because Hannah saw the flaws in the “peculiar institution” and more importantly realized the moral injustice. One day she was approached by an elderly woman who offered to teach her how to read. Hannah graciously accepted knowing the consequences. When she knew she would not be missed, Hannah would sneak away to spend time with the old woman, Aunt Hetty, and her husband in their small home near the plantation. This established her literacy and a strong faith, from reading the bible. The night Hannah was caught ended her education. The fact that she was not punished for her behavior shows how many plantation owners were hesitant to physically abuse their slaves. Physical punishment was unusual because slaves were expensive and they strived to keep them in the best physical condition for efficient labor. Instead, Aunt Hetty and her husband were punished. They were removed from the plantation and Hannah had to live with guilt of their dislocation. Hannah realized how slavery blights the happiness of the white as well as the black race.

As Hannah continue her life on the plantation, a new character comes into her life. A beautiful and kind woman, known as the mistress, marries her master. She develops a close bond with the mistress through a series of unfortunate events. The mistress carries around a dark secret of her birth. Despite her pale skin, she is of mixed race, the child of a slave. A secret like this held great depth in the deep south. The social hierarchy did not allow for mixed race to be of the same status of the wealthy aristocrats. Although it was a very common occurrence for mixed race babies to be born, fathered by a white overseer, the offspring would take the status of slave. If anything these children would struggle even more in plantation lifestyle. Looked down upon by the blacks for having white blood, and the whites disgusted for their black relation. A crooked lawyer, Mr. Trappe knows Hannah’s mistress’ secret and uses this to blackmail the mistress. Hannah and her mistress flee the plantation in the middle of the night, running from Trappe and the fate of slavery. The mistress mind decays as they spend time in a abandoned shack. It just so happens that this was a recent murder-scene where Hannah spends month surrounded by bloody weapons and her insane mistress. Finally found