In high school, it is hard to establish your political opinions. Many of our beliefs are swayed by what we have heard our parents talk about all of our lives as well as just about everything on social media. Parents, social media and societal norms largely impact the political opinions of millennials. Some may argue with this thought because they feel like they have put effort and thought into politics, but there is a reason we can’t vote yet. Frankly, high schoolers have not yet experienced real life and have just learned about the history of the US and the way the government works. With this being said, high school is the perfect time to learn and begin to establish stances on debatable topics. One must use personal fundamental beliefs to establish ethos. Mrs Bird believes that one should not face suffering alone. When poor Eliza shows up at the Bird’s door, Mr Bird is hesitant to help her because the Fugitive Slave Act was just passed. Aware of the terms of the law and her husbands position as senate, Mrs Bird tells her husband, "It don't forbid us to shelter those poor creatures at night, does it, and to give 'em something comfortable to eat, and a few old clothes" (pg 142).” Mrs Bird's rhetorical question is contesting the morality of the Fugitive Slave Act. In addition, it downplays the act of helping a slave as a simple act of kindness and love to someone suffering. Harriet Stowe poses this question to display that the law is inhumane as well as addressing the bigger issue of the right to freedom for all people.
Comment #4 Great post Emma! It is interesting how Mrs. Bird uses her faith as a Christian as ethos in her argument to Mr. Bird about how immoral the Fugitive Slave Act is. Similarly, when Mr. Wilson is trying to persuade George to not escape slavery to go to Canada, he quotes Bible stories to create ethos. Mr. Wilson tells George that just like "the angel commanded Hagar to return to her mistress" and "the apostle sent back Onesimus to his master," George must return to his slave master (183).
Dred Scott was a slave born in Virginia in 1795. In 1830 his owner took him to Fort Armstrong in Illinois which is a free state. When he returned to a slave state with his owners he tried to sue his owners because his presence and residence in free territories should make him a free man. The Supreme Court ruled that "a negro, whose ancestors were imported into [the U.S.], and sold as slaves whether enslaved or free, could not be an American citizen and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court." The courts decision was controversial because it stated that slaves were property and had no rights.
Marie is a whiner and constantly complains about how much trouble slaves are. Eva even wonders why her mother keeps slaves if they bother her so much. Marie even says she doesn’t know why she keeps them, since apparently slaves are such a hassle and "is selfish - dreadfully selfish" (261). She uses Mammy as an example to prove her point to Miss Ophelia. At night Marie needs attention every single hour but Marie thinks Mammy, who cares for Marie, is selfish because Mammy falls asleep and "she's so hard to wake" (261). Apparently this means Mammy is selfish and not a human in need of rest because her owner never lets her sleep. But then again Slaves weren't humans and therefore had no rights to happiness. They were property with no feelings and it didn't matter if their children were separated from them. As seen in the ruling of the Dred Scott case, slaves were seen as property not people and because of this, their treatment didn't matter.
In the Bible, when Jesus is lamenting in the Garden of Gethsemane, he has his disciples keep watch, however, they keep falling asleep. The disciples' continuance of falling asleep is symbolic for misunderstanding/ignorance. Although, Mammy and the disciples had a "sort of goodness" (262), their laziness costed them. Jesus was crucified and Evangeline died. Stowe shows that in order to solve an issue, one must be selfless and take action, regardless of the consequences.
Reply #3 Great reference to the Bible, Sofia! To iterate further, in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve disobeyed Jesus. He punished the couple because they did not follow his instructions. In the novel, Tom was crying because of St. Clare and he “looked imploring”. St. Clare told him that she is “not worth crying over” (308), yet he continued. To a certain extent, this parallels the disobedience of Adam and Eve because they kept doing after they were told not to.
Although Alfred claims that the system is “a difficult one to train children under” (393), Augustine argues that it only educates children in “barbarism and brutality” (391). However, Evangeline proves both fathers’ statements untrue. Evangeline educates and enlightens all individuals around her, to love one another and understand each other’s views. Stowe could have foreshadowed Uncle Tom's Cabin, as a novel that would have elicited an upcoming generation of Evangeline’s, and an America that treated slaves as individuals rather than property. She could have foreshadowed the success of her book before anybody else did.
Comment #3 The slave system is brutal, especially since it rips many families apart. In chapter 30, Stowe shows a slave mother, Susan, that is constantly awaiting the day that her and her daughter, Emmeline, will be torn apart due to the uncertainty of the life they live. As she "holds her daughter in her arms," she hopes that her upbringing through religion will help her "be faithful to the Lord" no matter what happens next (473). Like Evangeline, Susan is choosing to act out of love and not out of anger.
Evidence #4 Evidence of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s claim that white northerners are not more ethical that white southerners if they still hold prejudices against black Americans lies in Miss Ophelia’s character when she is set with the task of teaching Topsy. When Topsy will not behave or change her ways, Miss Ophelia states that she, “cannot be plagued with this child, any longer!” (406) not realizing that the reason for Topsy’s misbehavior is the sad fact that she has been taught that she is a bad and inferior person and that Miss Ophelia has done nothing to help her see otherwise. Instead of sticking with Topsy and trying to reverse her internalized feeling of being less than, Miss Ophelia gives up on Topsy and proves that most white northerners are still racist.
Wow Michelle! It is so important to remember that all northerners did not condemn slavery at the time the novel was written; many were uninformed about the horrors of the institution, but that does not mean they did not have prejudices against blacks. I think it was quite clear that Miss Ophelia was racist since her entrance into the South. When she first arrives at the St. Clare's she says "you southern children can do something that I couldn't." (255) Miss Ophelia is referring to the fact that Eva will touch blacks. Miss Ophelia did not have it in her to give Topsy a chance and raise her to be a good Christian.
Evidence #5 The varsity swim team at Mayfield is extremely rigorous compared to that of the JV team because the intervals are shorter, you get less breaks, and the sets are all around harder. However, this doesn't mean that JV practice comes without aches and pains around your entire body. There is evidence of Stowe's claim that slaves were human beings, with feelings that were able to hurt, mourn, and feel every sort of emotion that a white person did, just like a JV swimmer is able to feel the pain of a workout just as much as a Varsity swimmer. When St Clare died, "Tom's soul was filled with thoughts of eternity" (458). In this time period, it was thought that slaves were not human beings, deserving of normal treatment. This scene shows how much Tom cared for his master, although he was enslaved, and supports Stowe's argument that blacks are just as much people as whites
Evidence #1 (p 141-160)
ReplyDeleteIn high school, it is hard to establish your political opinions. Many of our beliefs are swayed by what we have heard our parents talk about all of our lives as well as just about everything on social media. Parents, social media and societal norms largely impact the political opinions of millennials. Some may argue with this thought because they feel like they have put effort and thought into politics, but there is a reason we can’t vote yet. Frankly, high schoolers have not yet experienced real life and have just learned about the history of the US and the way the government works. With this being said, high school is the perfect time to learn and begin to establish stances on debatable topics. One must use personal fundamental beliefs to establish ethos.
Mrs Bird believes that one should not face suffering alone. When poor Eliza shows up at the Bird’s door, Mr Bird is hesitant to help her because the Fugitive Slave Act was just passed. Aware of the terms of the law and her husbands position as senate, Mrs Bird tells her husband, "It don't forbid us to shelter those poor creatures at night, does it, and to give 'em something comfortable to eat, and a few old clothes" (pg 142).” Mrs Bird's rhetorical question is contesting the morality of the Fugitive Slave Act. In addition, it downplays the act of helping a slave as a simple act of kindness and love to someone suffering. Harriet Stowe poses this question to display that the law is inhumane as well as addressing the bigger issue of the right to freedom for all people.
Comment #4
DeleteGreat post Emma!
It is interesting how Mrs. Bird uses her faith as a Christian as ethos in her argument to Mr. Bird about how immoral the Fugitive Slave Act is. Similarly, when Mr. Wilson is trying to persuade George to not escape slavery to go to Canada, he quotes Bible stories to create ethos. Mr. Wilson tells George that just like "the angel commanded Hagar to return to her mistress" and "the apostle sent back Onesimus to his master," George must return to his slave master (183).
Evidence #2 (p. 239 - 285)
ReplyDeleteDred Scott was a slave born in Virginia in 1795. In 1830 his owner took him to Fort Armstrong in Illinois which is a free state. When he returned to a slave state with his owners he tried to sue his owners because his presence and residence in free territories should make him a free man. The Supreme Court ruled that "a negro, whose ancestors were imported into [the U.S.], and sold as slaves whether enslaved or free, could not be an American citizen and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court." The courts decision was controversial because it stated that slaves were property and had no rights.
Marie is a whiner and constantly complains about how much trouble slaves are. Eva even wonders why her mother keeps slaves if they bother her so much. Marie even says she doesn’t know why she keeps them, since apparently slaves are such a hassle and "is selfish - dreadfully selfish" (261). She uses Mammy as an example to prove her point to Miss Ophelia. At night Marie needs attention every single hour but Marie thinks Mammy, who cares for Marie, is selfish because Mammy falls asleep and "she's so hard to wake" (261). Apparently this means Mammy is selfish and not a human in need of rest because her owner never lets her sleep. But then again Slaves weren't humans and therefore had no rights to happiness. They were property with no feelings and it didn't matter if their children were separated from them. As seen in the ruling of the Dred Scott case, slaves were seen as property not people and because of this, their treatment didn't matter.
In the Bible, when Jesus is lamenting in the Garden of Gethsemane, he has his disciples keep watch, however, they keep falling asleep. The disciples' continuance of falling asleep is symbolic for misunderstanding/ignorance. Although, Mammy and the disciples had a "sort of goodness" (262), their laziness costed them. Jesus was crucified and Evangeline died. Stowe shows that in order to solve an issue, one must be selfless and take action, regardless of the consequences.
DeleteReply #3
DeleteGreat reference to the Bible, Sofia! To iterate further, in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve disobeyed Jesus. He punished the couple because they did not follow his instructions. In the novel, Tom was crying because of St. Clare and he “looked imploring”. St. Clare told him that she is “not worth crying over” (308), yet he continued. To a certain extent, this parallels the disobedience of Adam and Eve because they kept doing after they were told not to.
Evidence #3 (pgs 326-405)
ReplyDeleteAlthough Alfred claims that the system is “a difficult one to train children under” (393), Augustine argues that it only educates children in “barbarism and brutality” (391). However, Evangeline proves both fathers’ statements untrue. Evangeline educates and enlightens all individuals around her, to love one another and understand each other’s views. Stowe could have foreshadowed Uncle Tom's Cabin, as a novel that would have elicited an upcoming generation of Evangeline’s, and an America that treated slaves as individuals rather than property. She could have foreshadowed the success of her book before anybody else did.
Comment #3
DeleteThe slave system is brutal, especially since it rips many families apart. In chapter 30, Stowe shows a slave mother, Susan, that is constantly awaiting the day that her and her daughter, Emmeline, will be torn apart due to the uncertainty of the life they live. As she "holds her daughter in her arms," she hopes that her upbringing through religion will help her "be faithful to the Lord" no matter what happens next (473). Like Evangeline, Susan is choosing to act out of love and not out of anger.
Evidence #4
ReplyDeleteEvidence of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s claim that white northerners are not more ethical that white southerners if they still hold prejudices against black Americans lies in Miss Ophelia’s character when she is set with the task of teaching Topsy. When Topsy will not behave or change her ways, Miss Ophelia states that she, “cannot be plagued with this child, any longer!” (406) not realizing that the reason for Topsy’s misbehavior is the sad fact that she has been taught that she is a bad and inferior person and that Miss Ophelia has done nothing to help her see otherwise. Instead of sticking with Topsy and trying to reverse her internalized feeling of being less than, Miss Ophelia gives up on Topsy and proves that most white northerners are still racist.
Comment #10!!
DeleteWow Michelle! It is so important to remember that all northerners did not condemn slavery at the time the novel was written; many were uninformed about the horrors of the institution, but that does not mean they did not have prejudices against blacks. I think it was quite clear that Miss Ophelia was racist since her entrance into the South. When she first arrives at the St. Clare's she says "you southern children can do something that I couldn't." (255) Miss Ophelia is referring to the fact that Eva will touch blacks. Miss Ophelia did not have it in her to give Topsy a chance and raise her to be a good Christian.
Evidence #5
ReplyDeleteThe varsity swim team at Mayfield is extremely rigorous compared to that of the JV team because the intervals are shorter, you get less breaks, and the sets are all around harder. However, this doesn't mean that JV practice comes without aches and pains around your entire body. There is evidence of Stowe's claim that slaves were human beings, with feelings that were able to hurt, mourn, and feel every sort of emotion that a white person did, just like a JV swimmer is able to feel the pain of a workout just as much as a Varsity swimmer. When St Clare died, "Tom's soul was filled with thoughts of eternity" (458). In this time period, it was thought that slaves were not human beings, deserving of normal treatment. This scene shows how much Tom cared for his master, although he was enslaved, and supports Stowe's argument that blacks are just as much people as whites