You have a kind master, that won’t refuse to sell you. I’ll buy you and the boy;—God helping me, I will!”
must use the system of slavery to achieve freedom, can never escape the institution
158 Matching Annotations
- Nov 2021
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“I have been careful, and I have been patient, but it’s growing worse and worse
this connects to this idea that Black people are always asked to wait for justice, instead of finding it themselves.
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he worst use you can put a man to is to hang him. No; there is another use that a man can be put to that is WORSE!
The life of non-freedom and of slavery is worse than the relief of death
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beauty so fatal an inheritance to a slave
again, beauty/talent as reasons for exploitation, white excpetionalism
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n fact, she dismissed the matter from her mind
in order to be "okay" with slavery, I think you have to develop some form of willful ignorance.
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poor creature t
dehumanizing language
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f a quiet and gradual nature,
why is this where the bar is?
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“I would rather not sell him,” said Mr. Shelby, thoughtfully; “the fact is, sir, I’m a humane man, and I hate to take the boy from his mother, sir.”
clearly his son, conscience is developing
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“fling in that chap, and I’ll settle the business
He is trying to prove control, but I think too there is a commentary on Black lives being used as entertainment and I think about the legacies this unfortunately has today
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remarkably beautiful and engaging
exoticism
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m. Yes, I consider religion a valeyable thing in a nigger, when it’s the genuine article, and no mistake.”
I wonder how this relates to the idea of religion being the opium of the masses
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steady, honest, capable, manages my whole farm like a clock
interesting the way leadership is valued, but at just the right amount
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conversation was in free and easy defiance of Murray’s Grammar,* and was garnished at convenient intervals with various profane expressions, which not even the desire to be graphic in our account shall induce us to transcribe.
assumption of language and properiety as intelligence
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servants present, and the gentlemen, wit
distinction is drawn that slaves are being left out of the conversation
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Babo had intimated to him several times, that he would kill all the whites the very moment he should perceive any city, town, or settlement of any kind on the shores to which they should be carried:
that idea of racialized violence
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suddenly
as if this is surprising, idea of a narrative being told that this was so sudden
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The surviving negroes were temporarily secure
punished for liberation
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ferocious piratical revolt.
again, this dehumanizing language, for freeing themselves
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“go, and God guard you better than me, my best friend.”
this is really saying "control your slaves better than I did", he still can't see how this situation is seeing things from a different POV
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d all that; master can hear, and, between times, master can answer.”
giving permission over when to communicate, power dynamic
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as one about to make a plunging exchange of elements, as from air to water.
foreshadowing here to the shift in paradigm
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as if a child should lead a bull of the Nile by the ring in his nose
the symbolism of the idea of something pretending to have control, a child holding a gun shooting a deer
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- Oct 2021
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ike a doe in the shade of a woodland rock. Sprawling at her lapped breasts, was her wide-awake fawn, stark naked, its black little body half lifted from the deck, crosswise with its dam’s; its hands, like two paws, clambering upon her; its mouth and nose ineffectually rooting to get at the mark; and meantime giving a vexatious half-grunt, blending with the composed snore of the negress.
this whole scene is disturbing, but is reminding of the way deer and hunting are connected with power and control
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a black man’s slave was Babo, who now is the white’s.”
The ultimate powerless has gained power back
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pale
pale is a strange word here, why isn't he red with anger? Is he in fear?
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“I have to thank those negroes you see, who, though to your inexperienced eyes appearing unruly, have, indeed, conducted themselves with less of restlessness than even their owner could have thought possible under such circumstances.”
There is a sense that this is against the expectation and social custom.
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ess a servant than a devoted companion.
again, this is a misunderstanding of the necessity of politeness in a slave's life
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mpairing the Spaniard’s authority over them.
this is such an interesting concept never really explored, the authority that the Spaniards have in this situation is that they provide for the slaves, but they can't do that, therefore there is nothing to lose by disobeying.
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barbarous din.
this word is often used to describe customs that are simple not conventionally Western
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and, at the least, pilot her in.
an example of the captain's. good nature
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custom among peaceful seamen of all nation
this has ties to colonialism and the presence of a flag meaning that a nation would be taking over or conquering instead of visiting.
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valuable cargo,
why is he at anchor with such valuable cargo?what is he waiting for? where is the cargo going?
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All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses, And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
optimism and trascendentalism, this connection to nature, but is this really original?
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Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the same, I receive them the same.
interesting juxtaposition here, equality in nature?
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The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.
what society is trying to sell to you
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I CELEBRATE myself,
goes against the assumption that loving oneself might be bad
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Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.
I agree with the idea that this is a critique on capitalism, but i would go even further as a critique of societal conformity, especially within the United States, thinking of a melting pot where people lose their cultures for the greater good of forming a united one.
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. He would utter opinions on all passing affairs, which being seen to be not private, but necessary, would sink like darts into the ear of men, and put them in fear.
There is a societal pressure to be normal, and when youth step out of this box with new or progressive ideas, they are shunned back into complacency.
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Infancy conforms to nobody: all conform to it,
this idea of tabula rasa
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obeying the Almighty effort
in a lot of ways, I wonder about all of the juxtapositioning of religion here and if Emerson is making a point about religion or if he is just ignored to the fact that religion contradicts his idea of unconventional thinking.
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There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction t
I think the movie "Dead Poet's Society" is a maybe cheesy, but simpler example of this point in our lives.
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In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.
This goes back to the idea of interpretation and how the reader has the power, often more than the author, or the artist in this instance.
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and spoke not what men but what they thought
I think using Moses as a reference is interesting here, were the thoughts he had his own or the universal "God"? Does it matter
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he soul always hears an admonition in such lines
as if we are pre-programmed to not want to go against the grain, you have to fight the urge to be a follower
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when life hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have a quieting draught out of Rip Van Winkle’s flagon
so interesting that the goal is to just skip to retirement, what does this say about value of life?
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Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived at that happy age when a man can be idle with impunity,
interesting American mindset that one cannot simply live without productivity until retirement or you are wasting your life
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lection.
another colonization, America focused
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There was a drop of comfort,
Because she dies in the end? The amount of relief he feels is bizarre.
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“Oh, she, too, had died but a short time since; she broke a blood-vessel in a fit of passion at a New England peddler.”
she had to die in a vain and dark humored way to fit her villianistic view
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Another short but busy little fellow pulled him by the arm, and, rising on tiptoe, inquired in his ear, “Whether he was Federal or Democrat?
There is something polarized and binary here that did not exist before, there were more belief options than two with the wise conversations
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There was a busy, bustling tone about it, instead of the accustomed drowsy tranquility.
the comment above got me to think about the ways that the choice to move forward in time to after the revolution shows the commentary on America being faster paced
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He called loudly for his wife and children—the lonely chambers rang for a moment with his voice, and then all again was silence.
this is the classic "be care what you wish for" morality lesson
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decay
he is seeing the results of neglect
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for he had thought himself acquainted with every one in the country round. Their dress, too, was of a different fashion from that to which he was accustomed. They all stared a
he had once found value in knowing everyone, when that changes, what value does he now have
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He grieved to give up his dog and gun; he dreaded to meet his wife; but it would not do to starve among the mountains. He shook his head, shouldered the rusty firelock, and, with a heart full of trouble and anxiety, turned his steps homeward.
the things he used to escape have failed them and he must face his life without avoidance
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what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle?”
one of his first thoughts is his family, as it should be
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One taste provoked another; and he repeated his visits to the flagon so often that at length his senses were overpowered, his eyes swam in his head, his head gradually declined, and he fell into a deep sleep.
escapism here?
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a thirsty soul,
double meaning here, meaning if he likes something, he wants more of it
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Nothing interrupted the stillness of the scene but the noise of the balls, which, whenever they were rolled, echoed along the mountain
There was no one to tell him to take his attention away from nature
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labored on in silence; f
contrasting this to what Rip has at home, he found peace in the silence, mutual understanding
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his usual valacrity,
the desire to help people is stronger than shyness
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he heaved a heavy sigh when he thought of encountering the terrors of Dame Van Winkle.
this does change perspective on Van Winkle, despite the fact that her requests are not unreasonable, she does provide no support to him.
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in habits of idleness.
to her, she sees this club as pursuit that takes her husband from her family
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It is true, he was rarely heard to speak, but smoked his pipe incessantly.
When you preface a character with this, they become an oracle or prophet, and therefore, a mysterious enigma, gives them authority.
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how sagely they would deliberate upon public events some months after they had taken place!
almost like salons during the enlightenment
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f perpetual club of sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village,
idea that you must be producing something tangible to be considered industrious, rather than the knowledge Van Winkle seeks
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Wolf, who was as much henpecked as his master;
It's almost as if the assumption here is that henpecked is domesticated and that a man is not meant to be domesticated to a household life.
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He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing.
anxious-avoidant personality trait
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Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away in perfect contentment; but his wife kept continually dinning in his ear about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family.
The simple idea that having a family and a marriage is a commitment and a type of contract to play your role to support that family.
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a strong dislike of all kinds of profitable labor
I think this mindset is a progressive one, the whole idea of life being based off of enjoyment, not work, almost anti-capitalist
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In a word, Rip was ready to attend to anybody’s business but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible.
maybe this is a coping mechanism to avoid the pressure of being the perfect father and husband and provider.
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The children of the village, too, would shout with joy whenever he approached. He assisted at their sports, made their playthings, taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories of ghosts, witches, and Indians. Whenever he went dodging about the village, he was surrounded by a troop of them, hanging on his skirts, clambering on his back, and playing a thousand tricks on him; and not a dog would bark at him throughout the neighborhood.
big romanticization of a man here, almost larger than life, which sets the story up in a partriarchial view, especially by explicitly bringing up his ability with children.
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henpecked
henpecked makes it seem like his wife has beaten down his spirit to obey her
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built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed windows and gable fronts, surmounted with weathercocks.
architectural colonialism
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Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Catskill Mountains. They are a branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country.
This all reminds me of the idea of the divine right of kings, as if the leaders come from the highest points on Earth.
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- Sep 2021
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All the story does is reiterate the societal bounds that women and minority groups have been trying to break.
does Eliza ever break this? or is she complicit?
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system and religion to conform to Winkfield’s
and agreeing to baptizing Eliza!
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and gorgeous princesses.
exoticism
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the bechdel test!
This is true, but I do wonder about the legitimacy of the bechdel test and whether the bare minimum is grounds for feminism, but I do think that Eliza's later intersectionality is an interesting aspect that this author leaves out of this interpretation.
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she miraculously revives him with her deep knowledge of North American botany,
I can see this interpretation, but I do think that maybe there is a sense of Native knowledge and familiarity of resources shown through both the poisoning and healing.
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assimilated colonialist outfit complete with a cotton bra
assimilated, meaning she lost her identity, this would be the one the doll is portrayed in the box with, also the point of a bra here, restriction
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The intentional omission of colonist wrongdoing makes it easy for white America to disproportionately distribute empathy and judgement when reading such narratives.
Again, going back to womanhood, because of the zero contextualization, there is an empathy for Rowlandson losing a child, when her mistress did too.
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he too painted himself to be an innocent victim.
People have an inability to see themselves as bad people, it's ignorance.
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cease a genocide c
The crimes of the oppressed should be taken into context under that premise, they do not have the power.
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The problem, rather, is that she—and society as a whole—deemed the context of her captivity unimportant
Exactly, it's that there was this whole other side that was being ignored.
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This is not to say that Rowlandson’s depiction of the colonial encounter isn’t valid or worth the empathy it so easily conjures up for reader
I think this is the perfect counter-argument to the conversation we had in class and was the words I was struggling to say.
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imperialism and systemic racism.
the whole exploration of the pillars of a caste system
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elevating tragic, white-authored colonial encounters
white womanhood=the white feminism of today
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American narrative
this is so important, it's the narrative we are taught and told, and it is not the only one.
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disillusionment and hypocrisy
THIS!! I think this goes to my idea of an inability to see role reversal or simply empathy.
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why am I troubled? It was but the other day that if I had had the world, I would have given it for my freedom, or to have been a servant to a Christian. I have learned to look beyond present and smaller troubles, and to be quieted under them. As Moses said, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”
This is almost laughable, she is acting as though she has drastically become a more humble, earnest, and better person, though, she has none of that.
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One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing. But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having
This is likely an inaccurate statement. Based on what we know about Mary, she likely has always been wanting for more, as she is rarely satisifed.
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But now we are fed with the finest of the wheat, and, as I may say, with honey out of the rock. Instead of the husk, we have the fatted calf
She has so much now and yet no sympathy for the continued struggling of those she lived with
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I thought it somewhat strange to set up house-keeping with bare walls
ungrateful, no matter who is giving, she needs more.
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The twenty pounds, the price of my redemption
attempting to justify it religiously, though she was simply used for profit and as a pawn, provide meaning to life, maybe point of religion?
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was not before so much hemmed in with the merciless and cruel heathen, but now as much with pitiful, tender-hearted and compassionate Christians.
an outside perspective/role reversal
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such a lovely sight, so many Christians together
as if being Christian provides safety
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I told him no: I was not willing to run away, but desired to wait God’s time, that I might go home quietly, and without fear.
it's the principle of the conscious, to feel free of some sort of guilt and penance.
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rejoice in it; some asked me to send them some bread, others some tobacco, others shaking me by the hand, offering me a hood and scarfe to ride in; not one moving hand or tongue against it. T
Assuming the husband will be so grateful and that generosity will be returned, they might even be spared
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wonderful power of God in providing f
interesting application of religion here, given anything, idea that God loves all, yet still describes them as heathens. no complex or higher-level connection making
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Dehumanizing
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. Thus did they scoff at us, as if the English would be a quarter of a year getting ready.
Despite the destruction, the Natives watched how greedy, and therefore, useless at battle colonists were, and knew that thy could outsmart their lack of land knowledge
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the enemy in such distress for food
and still did not appreciate the sharing
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It is the Lord’s doing, and it should be marvelous in our eyes.
essentially, the "everything happens for a reason" mindset
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and in pursuit of the enemy,
they once again become the enemy, their kindness has not changed her perception.
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Thus the Lord made that pleasant refreshing, which another time would have been an abomination.
The Natives are sharing their little means snd she shows no appreciation or pity for the hungry children.
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Then I took it of the child, and eat it myself, and savory it was to my taste.
example of Mary believing her needs come first, even as a mother, interesting
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Englishman stripped naked, and lying dead upon the ground, but knew not who it
Another example of her being in the role of a Native, of an outsider watching her people die.
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Some of them told me he was dead, and they had killed him; some said he was married again, and that the Governor wished him to marry; and told him he should have his choice, and that all persuaded I was dead. So like were these barbarous creatures to him who was a liar from the beginning.
Example of Natives lying, less concerned with what her husband is doing, but more with the comparison to the other stories.
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but I found no comfort here neither,
She has finally reached a crisis of faith moment, possibly a watershed for actual understanding?
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and a company of barbarous heathens
ignorance still remains, back to the idea that because they aren't Christian, they are heathens.
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I removed a stick that kept the heat from me.
An example of her doing things to convenience herself before others.
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I considered their horrible addictedness to lying, and that there is not one of them that makes the least conscience of speaking of truth.
When have they lied to her? This is obviously denial, in that, she actually has no proof they lie to her often.
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He answered me that such a time his master roasted him
I think there is psychological torment here, but also this is what her people have done to the Natives.
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me to make a shirt for her papoose, for which she gave me a mess of broth
a system of trade, she is lucky they offer this sense of equality, she does have a skill, this makes her valueable
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nd through the good providence of God, I had a comfortable lodging that night.
She once again attributes kindness to God, instead of human beings.
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and lie somewhere else,
although I understand how this could be seen as unfair, Rowlandson also refuses to see how the arrival of Christians was a burden. Another example of roles reversed.
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et so hungry that I could not sit neither
Hungry, decides to forge for herself, learning something valuable here even if unknown.
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my master being gone, who seemed to me the best friend that I had of an Indian, both in cold and hunger, and quickly so it proved.
Acknowledges kindness of Natives for the first time, but only when convenient or in regret
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declare the trouble that I was in about it; but yet back again I must go.
Ignorant to why this might be happening, but is not in the position of power to ask or understand the reasoning
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I complained it was too heavy, whereupon she gave me a slap in the face, and bade me go
White women seem to treat her with less patience, maybe this is the cycle of abuse, as the men in their lives often abuse their power, and this is their way of doing the same. There might be something here to about the exoticism of Native women and potential jealousy
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and never let her see it afterward.
maybe because religion is meant to be a private affair, not pushed on others??
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My mistress, before we went, was gone to the burial of a papoose, and returning, she found me sitting and reading in my Bible; she snatched it hastily out of my hand, and threw it out of doors.
I think the harshness here of the throwing of the bible is directly connected to the loss of a child. Maybe even subconsciously, the mistress is thinking how could anyone have faith after a child dies. Also, Mary using a slur represents her ignorance.
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much rejoice my spirit.
I assumed that her husband was dead, but maybe she is unaware of that and this is the Natives trying to appease her or her delusional attempt to bock out what is happening. This is also a reflection of the attitude at the time of women being property that is bought and sold.
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hat they prepared for their trave
another example of her highlighting their anti-religion, anti-conformity to her way of life
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There was a squaw who spake to me to make a shirt for her sannup, for which she gave me a piece of bear. Another asked me to knit a pair of stockings,
she has a skill set, maternal
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He bade me come in and sit down, and asked me whether I would smoke it (a usual compliment nowadays amongst saints and sinners)
sign of respect, giving something valuable, sharing a moment
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The cause of this rout was, as I thought, their espying some English scouts, who were thereabout. I
again, this fear of the colonists seems to be what she assumes they care most about, when they have power over her
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comforts of this life: b
woah, this was what happens when privilege is taken away
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The first week of my being among them I hardly ate any thing; the second week I found my stomach grow very faint for want of something; and yet it was very hard to get down their filthy trash; but the third week, though I could think how formerly my stomach would turn against this or that, and I could starve and die before I could eat such things, yet they were sweet and savory to my taste. I
once again, a statement of privilege and entitlement to somrhting better other than what is available
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some carried their old decrepit mothers, some carried one, and some another.
sense of community and helping others, not every man for himself
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(as I thought) of their moving at this time was the English army,
leading into a different explanation, but also shows how highly she views the power of the colonists despite all that has happened
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Oh, the hideous insulting and triumphing that there was over some Englishmen’s scalps that they had taken (as their manner is)
unaware of the context, this perspective is understandable for an outsider
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but I was sold to him by another Narragansett Indian, who took me when first I came out of the garrison)
The concept of slavery is interesting, I wonder if this was inherent or learned from colonizers
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lie down by my dead babe, side by side all the night after.
There is resonation here, how when someone you love dies, it's far more than a dead body
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This was the comfort I had from them, miserable comforters are ye all, as he said.
shows the way Natives view pain as natural part of life and when it gets too much, it should be stopped, rather than temporary fixes
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I then remembered how careless I had been of God’s holy time; how many Sabbaths I had lost and misspent, and how evilly I had walked in God’s sight; which lay so close unto my spirit, that it was easy for me to see how righteous it was with God to cut off the thread of my life and cast me out of His presence forever. Yet the Lord still showed mercy to me, and upheld me; and as He wounded me with one hand, so he healed me with the other. This day there came to me one Robert Pepper (a man belonging to
this kind of blind devotion to faith is the downfall of many colonists
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here being not the least crumb of refreshing that came within either of our mouths from Wednesday night to Saturday night, except only a little cold water.
This was how the natives always lived, accustomed to a life of privilege, what is enough for others, becomes unsatisfying to you
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and having no Christian friend near me
example of religion being a major connector, maybe even more than race
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ounded babe upon a horse; it went moaning all along, “I shall die, I shall die.” I went on foot after it, with sorrow that cannot be expressed. At length I took it off the horse, and carried it in my arms till my strength failed, and I fell down with it. Then they set me upon a horse with my wounded child in my lap
There's this idea that simply because she's a woman with a child, she deserves more humanity? Does she? Are children innocent?
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but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail
I wonder about her view of religion shifting, is this still God's will?
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But now, the next morning, I must turn my back upon the town, and travel with them into the vast and desolate wilderness,
It's like watching go through every stage of grief at the same time, denial, acceptance, sadness.
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my children gone, my relations and friends gone, our house and home and all our comforts—within door and without—all was gone (except my life), and I knew not but the next moment that might go too
Something about this just makes me want to retort with "imagining this happening to every family in your community, not just your own", but then, I wonder about trauma and if that's erasure in its' own sense.
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some roasting, some lying and burning, and some boiling to feed our merciless enemies; who were joyful enough, though we were disconsolate.
interesting to see how similar this description is to the way Native were treated by settlers (Casas)
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Oh
I think this sentence is a good representation of the outsiders skewed view of Native customs and the sheltered lives that they lived.
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swered, “What, will you love English men still?”
I don't think love is being used in a hugely romantic sense, but more of a question of how could you accept someone into your life who has done such horrible things to our people?
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barbarous creature
dehumanizing language, but even more so, maybe adding to this mystical sense of indigenous people, and that they have something different than colonizers
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sin
interesting choice of words, sin has religious connotations, usually meant to shame, and I do see that as what the woman attempts to do in her final speech/
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Nothing is so contemptible in Indian eyes as a want of dignity and idle, loquacious teasing
I agree with another annotation with the generalization. Especially in regards to the idea that this was a large enough belief that all tribes would have believed that it would have caused the downfall of man.
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nd since that day the Indians, who should have been great, have become a little people. Truly it would have been wise and well for those of early times if they could have held their tongues.
Moral of the myth. but also telling of the Native-American cultural belief of privacy and respect of others.
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And she arose and went her way into the woods and up the mountain, and was seen on earth no more.
Being on Earth is almost a punishment; the goal is to become one with nature (mountains) and to erase the worldly desires.
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From this day ye may feed yourselves and find your own venison, for this child shall do so no more for you.”
They were greedy; they wanted answers more than they were grateful for the child.
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they are not of those who make a great nation.”
Those who cannot simply be appreciative, but have to push for answers, those who do not have faith in the divine, do not deserve the help. The moral, maybe?
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Truly Katahdin was right; these people are in nowise worthy of my son, neither shall he serve them
This goes to my earlier point about one's duty to serve society. One should only have to give society what they have been given; it should be a trade, not one's only purpose being to serve others.
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build up his nation, and make of the Wabanaki a mighty race.
Interesting that the mountain seems to be the all-knower and wanting to improve the human race.
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boy his mother and every one had food and to spare.
interesting that it almost seems as if due to his gifts, he has a duty to help others. A community minded lifestyle where you do not waste your talent and your contribution to society.
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but his little eyebrows were of stone
What is the significance of the eyebrows being made of stone? Could it have something to do with the fact that huams shows facial expressions with their eyebrows?
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Rain.
Rain is capitalized, as if it is holy
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