Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was the primary factor that allowed the narrator's father to work and manage his own affairs, despite being a slave?
What was the primary factor that allowed the narrator's father to work and manage his own affairs, despite being a slave?
- His light complexion allowed him more privileges than other slaves.
- He was granted manumission due to his exceptional skills.
- His mistress recognized his inherent right to freedom.
- He paid his mistress a yearly fee and supported himself. (correct)
Why was the narrator initially unaware of her status as a slave during her early childhood?
Why was the narrator initially unaware of her status as a slave during her early childhood?
- Slaves were treated as equals in her community.
- Her parents concealed the truth to protect her.
- She was legally free until a certain age.
- She was shielded and fondly cared for, without experiencing the typical hardships of slavery. (correct)
What was the significance of the narrator's grandmother's cracker-baking business?
What was the significance of the narrator's grandmother's cracker-baking business?
- It provided a means for her to earn money and attempt to purchase her children's freedom. (correct)
- It allowed her to socialize with members of the community.
- It was a hobby that made her popular.
- It was the only skill she possessed.
What legal constraint did the narrator's grandmother face when she lent money to her mistress?
What legal constraint did the narrator's grandmother face when she lent money to her mistress?
How did the death of the narrator's mother impact her understanding of her own status?
How did the death of the narrator's mother impact her understanding of her own status?
What was the significance of the narrator's relationship with her mistress, the 'whiter foster sister' of her mother?
What was the significance of the narrator's relationship with her mistress, the 'whiter foster sister' of her mother?
Upon the death of her kind mistress, what false hope did the narrator and her friends share regarding her future?
Upon the death of her kind mistress, what false hope did the narrator and her friends share regarding her future?
What does the phrase 'These God-breathing machines are no more, in the sight of their masters, than the cotton they plant, or the horses they tend,' imply about the slaves' value?
What does the phrase 'These God-breathing machines are no more, in the sight of their masters, than the cotton they plant, or the horses they tend,' imply about the slaves' value?
How did the narrator's grandmother's lineage connect to her experience as a slave?
How did the narrator's grandmother's lineage connect to her experience as a slave?
What specific skill did the narrator learn from her kind mistress, setting her apart from many other enslaved people?
What specific skill did the narrator learn from her kind mistress, setting her apart from many other enslaved people?
How does the story of the narrator's grandmother being captured during the Revolutionary War add to the understanding of slavery?
How does the story of the narrator's grandmother being captured during the Revolutionary War add to the understanding of slavery?
What does the high price paid for the narrator's uncle Benjamin as a child suggest about the market for slaves at the time?
What does the high price paid for the narrator's uncle Benjamin as a child suggest about the market for slaves at the time?
What is the main significance of the narrator being bequeathed to a five-year-old child?
What is the main significance of the narrator being bequeathed to a five-year-old child?
How did the experience of the narrator's mother differ from that of other slaves?
How did the experience of the narrator's mother differ from that of other slaves?
What does the narrator's reflection on her mistress's act of bequeathing her reveal about the complexities of their relationship?
What does the narrator's reflection on her mistress's act of bequeathing her reveal about the complexities of their relationship?
The fact that the grandmother's master's widow 'had her dower in the hotel' indicates that:
The fact that the grandmother's master's widow 'had her dower in the hotel' indicates that:
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the narrator, her mother, and the mistress?
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the narrator, her mother, and the mistress?
How did the narrator's grandmother's experience as a child contribute to her resourcefulness later in life?
How did the narrator's grandmother's experience as a child contribute to her resourcefulness later in life?
What does the narrator mean when she says, 'the slave child had no thought for the morrow; but there came that blight, which too surely waits on every human being born to be a chattel'?
What does the narrator mean when she says, 'the slave child had no thought for the morrow; but there came that blight, which too surely waits on every human being born to be a chattel'?
What is the significance of the narrator knowing she was considered a 'piece of merchandise'?
What is the significance of the narrator knowing she was considered a 'piece of merchandise'?
How did the American Revolutionary War affect the narrator's grandmother and her family?
How did the American Revolutionary War affect the narrator's grandmother and her family?
What details does the passage reveal about the social hierarchy and complexities within the system of slavery?
What details does the passage reveal about the social hierarchy and complexities within the system of slavery?
When the narrator recounts being taught the precepts of God's Word, what is she implying about the slaveholders and their actions?
When the narrator recounts being taught the precepts of God's Word, what is she implying about the slaveholders and their actions?
How did the grandmother's work ethic and financial acumen reflect her resistance against the institution of slavery?
How did the grandmother's work ethic and financial acumen reflect her resistance against the institution of slavery?
What can be inferred about the broader societal attitudes towards slavery from the details in the passage?
What can be inferred about the broader societal attitudes towards slavery from the details in the passage?
What does the narrator's consistent use of 'mistress' imply about her inner feelings?
What does the narrator's consistent use of 'mistress' imply about her inner feelings?
Flashcards
Mulatto
Mulatto
A person of mixed white and black ancestry.
Narrator's father
Narrator's father
The narrator's skilled father who worked as a carpenter and tried to buy his children's freedom.
Narrator's grandmother
Narrator's grandmother
The narrator's maternal grandmother who was captured during the Revolutionary War and sold into slavery.
Slavery
Slavery
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William
William
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Literacy
Literacy
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Bequeath
Bequeath
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Bequeathed
Bequeathed
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Slave
Slave
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Sister's daughter
Sister's daughter
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Study Notes
Childhood and Early Life as a Slave
- Narrator was born into slavery but enjoyed six years of blissful ignorance of her status.
- Father was a skilled carpenter, hired from afar due to his expertise.
- Father paid his mistress $200 annually and supported himself in exchange for working and managing his affairs.
- His greatest desire was to purchase his children's freedom, but his offers were always rejected.
- Both parents were light brown ("mulattoes").
- The narrator had a younger brother named William.
- Maternal grandmother was a remarkable woman and a great influence.
- Grandmother was the daughter of a South Carolina planter who tried to free his family but they were captured and sold back into slavery.
- Grandmother was sold to a hotel keeper and endured a difficult childhood, but her intelligence and faithfulness led to her becoming indispensable.
- Grandmother was skilled as a cook, wet nurse, and seamstress.
- She became known for her crackers and, with permission, baked at night with her children's help to earn money.
- She intended to use the earnings to buy her children out of slavery.
- Upon her master's death, the slaves were divided among his heirs, with one son, Benjamin (the narrator's uncle), sold to ensure equal distribution of value.
- Benjamin, a fair-skinned boy of ten, fetched $720.
- His sale devastated the grandmother, but she continued to work and save.
- Grandmother lent her mistress $300, trusting her honor, despite the legal inability of slaves to own property or have binding contracts.
- The narrator and her brother received treats from their grandmother's baking.
Loss of Innocence and Change in Circumstances
- At six years old, after her mother's death, the narrator realized she was a slave.
- Mother's mistress, who was also her foster sister (both nursed by the narrator's grandmother), had promised the mother her children would be cared for.
- Initially, the narrator was treated well by her mother's mistress, doing light work and enjoying a carefree life.
- Around age twelve, the kind mistress died, prompting grief and uncertainty about the narrator's future.
- Narrator hoped she had been freed in the mistress's will.
- The mistress bequeathed the narrator to her sister's five-year-old daughter, dashing hopes for freedom.
- The mistress taught the narrator to read and spell.
- The narrator recognized the hypocrisy of her mistress teaching her to love her neighbor as herself, while simultaneously holding her as a slave.
- The mistress owned few slaves, who were divided among her relatives including five of the narrator's grandmother's children who were all sold separately.
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