Slavery has been one of the shrewdest practice of all times. It is something which has dislodged the humanity from the people for years. The inhuman practice of slavery has been into existence over the years. In spite of a number of revolutionary movements, the practice of slavery has slaughtered the feelings of humanity and have continued to treat people like a property. Over the years a number of laws have been made with respect to slavery, but it has not been abandoned . Slavery is defined as a system in which the people are treated like the slaves. It is an inhuman practice where the slaves can be held from time to time and they are made deprived of their right to live . T

1. 1
Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in nineteenth-century
American writing?
Name
University
Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in
nineteenth-century American writing?

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Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in nineteenth-century
American writing?
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................3
Incident of the Slave Girl...............................................................................................................................4
Benito Cereno ...............................................................................................................................................5
The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin ..............................................................................................................7
Patterns in the three forms of writing........................................................................................................10
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................13
References ..................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in nineteenth-century
American writing?
Introduction
Slavery has been one of the shrewdest practice of all times. It is something which has dislodged
the humanity from the people for years. The inhuman practice of slavery has been into existence
over the years. In spite of a number of revolutionary movements, the practice of slavery has
slaughtered the feelings of humanity and have continued to treat people like a property. Over the
years a number of laws have been made with respect to slavery, but it has not been abandoned1
.
Slavery is defined as a system in which the people are treated like the slaves. It is an inhuman
practice where the slaves can be held from time to time and they are made deprived of their right
to live2
. This practice includes the selling and buying of the slaves and involving using them for
all inhuman practices. Slaves had to be forcefully involved in the practices such as bonded labor,
forced labor, forced marriages etc. Since the ancient times, slavery has been an eminent part of
the writings. The slavery has been scripted in a number of forms of writing each one of them
counted as a slave narrative3
. Slave narratives is the literary form which has come into existence
over the years and has led to the creation of a number of writings. These includes the depiction
of the slavery and its practices and includes slavery in U.S.A., Africa and other states. In the past
thousands of writings have been written which depicts the treatment which is done to the slaves.
These inhuman practices of slavery have been depicted similar to what used to exist in real. A
1
Bruce Franklin, ‘ “Apparent Symbol of despotic command”: Melville’s Benito Cereno,’ New England
Quarterly 34.4 (1961): 462-477.
3
In Wyn Kelley (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to Herman Melville (2006), see:Hester Blum, ‘Atlantic
Trade,’ 113-28; and John Stauffer, ‘Melville, Slavery and the American Dilemma,’ 214-230.

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Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in nineteenth-century
American writing?
number of authors have depicted the reality of slaves. In this research we are going to find the
patterns which have been used by the American writers in order to describe the treatment which
was done to the slaves by their owners4
. A number of writings have been studied and three of
them have been selected for the purpose of the research includes the “Incidents of the slave girl”
written by Harriet Jacobs, Benito Cereno by Herman Melville and Hucklberry Fin by Mark
Twain. All these three works have been deeply studied and the patterns between all of these has
been studied. Each of these writings were having certain similarities and dissimilarities. „Incident
of a slave girl‟ is a painful autobiography which specifies her story after being sold. Benito
Cereno is another story which speaks about the journey of a character in a ship consisting of
slaves. The masters have been depicted as cruel people who have been treating the slaves in a
cruel manner. Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is another interesting book which
speaks about the struggle with the slavery5
.
Incident of the Slave Girl
Incident of the Slave girl is the autobiography of the author. In the book, she has described the
awful situations which she had to face throughout her life. The author says that she didn‟t want
to disclose her sufferings but she believes that the descriptions of her sufferings will help in the
antislavery movement. The central character of the story, Linda who is actually the author
herself when sold as a slave is treated with cruelty and with full of neglect. She is tortured for
years and is forced to go into the sexual relationship. The later part depicts her struggle against
the slavery. She is being pressurized and tortured. Later she falls into a love relationship with
4
Eric Sundquist, To Wake the Nations (1998), Chapters one and two
5
Bruce Franklin, ‘ “Apparent Symbol of despotic command”: Melville’s Benito Cereno,’ New England
Quarterly 34.4 (1961): 462-477.

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Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in nineteenth-century
American writing?
another character and has two children. When her children are ill-treated, she escapes from the
place. She hides herself in a tiny place for days6
. Her children are sold to a representative of their
fathers. But he again marries another person and leaves her. She now has a worry that her
children will again be sold. After a lot of struggle she escapes to the north. She takes Ellen with
her and leaves her another child Benny with her aunt. She starts working as a nurse in New York.
Meanwhile the person who bought her once and assaulted her, tries to find her out. In order to
stay away from him, she again goes off to Boston where she meets her son. In Boston she
continues to live for the coming years. Her children are sent to school7
. His previous Master, Dr.
Flint dies, but his daughter now claims for Linda. One of the law passed by congress, leads Linda
again in the fear of being kidnapped or enslaved. The daughter of Linda‟s master, comes to
Boston to capture her for which she hides once again. She is again forced to be bought and sold
for which she refuses. Forcefully, she is sold again, but this time to Mr. Bruce who cares for her
and treats her as his employee.
Benito Cereno
The Benito Cereno is another books which has captured the life of slaves. It is the story narrated
by the Amasa Delano, who is a captain of a ship. He observes another ship coming from the
front, partially damaged. He further sends a boat for investigation of the ship. He finds that ship
is badly affected by the environment and is filled with slaves. The slaves are observed in the
pathetic condition and they beg for water and food. He tries to find about the ship and reason for
6
Braxton, Joanne, ‘Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents: the Redefinition of the Slave Narrative Genre,
Massachusetts Review 27 (Summer 1986).
7
Gates, Henry Louis, The Classic Slave Narratives (2002)

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American writing?
its present condition. He tries to connect to the captain of the ship and his servant as well. He is
informed that the ship caught heavy winds on its way. The food supplies were thrown in order to
lighten the weight of ship. Thus, there wasn‟t any water in the ship. After this, due to bad
weather many officials of the ship died and they were left in the present condition. In spite of
several tries he is unable to go to the land. Cereno even claims that the master of the slaves have
died.
After this Daleno observes sudden anxiety in Cereno and he also find that the other crew
members also have a different kind of anxiety and there is a constant whispering. When Daleno
finally plans to leave the ship after providing the food and water supplies, Cereno jumps
overboard revealing the Canvas which consists of the skeleton of the Aranda, the master.
Suddenly, the slaves launch a battle on the crew members of the ship of Daleno and attacks
them.
The real truth behind the condition of the ship and Armada‟s death comes up later. The black
slaves had overthrown the white crew of the ship. Also, they had killed their master, Aranda and
kept only few members alive8
. Slaves had asked the captain Cereno, to sail the ship back to
Africa. The ship being unequipped for such a long journey was then in a pitiable condition.
Cereno, with the hope of being rescued by the other ships keep sailing the ship in the sea itself
and do not go to the coast9
. When the members of Daleno‟s ship saw the other ship, the slaves
hide the body of Aranda and asked the sailors and Cereno to stay quiet. The entire scenario was
8
McKay, Nellie and Smith Foster, Frances, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Contexts, Criticisms (2001)
9
Braxton, Joanne, ‘Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents: the Redefinition of the Slave Narrative Genre,
Massachusetts Review 27 (Summer 1986).

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executed by Babo, who manipulates the entire thing. The story ends with the trial of Babo.
Cereno enters into a shock and depression after this incident and dies soon after this.
Berito Cereno is based on the real life incident which is related to the life of adventurer who has
the same name. Cereno‟s ship was inscribed with the message “Follow your leader”. The death‟
of Cereno few days after the death of Babo was a role reversal situation which seemed to abide
by the inscription in the ship.
This novel centers on the rebellion of the slaves on board against their master. As per the pattern,
the slaves in this novel are represented as evil. It says about the ruthlessness of the slaves, but, on
the other side it questions the world that from where did this ruthlessness came from. How come
all of a sudden, the slaves which were the followers, suddenly became the masters and attacked
the whites.
The message in the novel is clear and unambiguous and powerful. It clearly states that the
brutality to one specie results into the counter brutality by the other. Slaves were treated brutally
for years and their rights were harnessed. They had to face terrible conditions. They were
exploited physically, mentally and sexually. The primary cause of the issue is not the slavery but
it‟s the racism or the actions of human beings which leads to the slavery and its practice.
The character of Delano initially is a racist. The concern which has been depicted for Babo by
him prompts that he condemns slavery. He has his own ideology which states that Babo is an
ideal black servant.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin
The Adventure of Huckleberry Fin is a novel which begins with Huck Finn which is the child
character. He discovers that his father has returned to the town. He even believes that his father

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has bad intentions for him and he may harm him. It also happened to be true when his father
removed him from the school. Very soon Huckle‟s father kidnapped him and took him across the
Mississippi river.
Huckleberry was treated similar to slaves and was beaten by his father, ruthlessly. He had to pass
his days in severe pain and misery. In order to change his fate, one day he ran off from the
Mississippi by faking his murder10
. After this he lands into an islands where he meets Jim, a
slave who has fear of being sold. Both of them, escapes to the river. They both tries to go away
from places to places in their escape against the slavery.
During their journey, they meet number of characters such as the robbers on the steamboat and
two genuine families who are involved in feud. The entire time when they are in the raft, they
feel complete freedom. With the sudden arrival of the Duke and the King, their freedom ends
when they board Huck and Jim‟s raft and they are asked to stop along a number of rivers and
order them to perform scams at several places11
. Under one of the scams, the Duke and the King
pose themselves as English brother and plans to steal the inheritance of the entire family. But,
they fails and before their execution of the plan, comes the real brothers. In the confusion and.
Huck and Jim again escapes from the place but are again joined by the Duke and the king.
10
Lowry, Richard S., “Littery Man”: Mark Twain and Modern Authorship (1996), Chapter 3
11
Messent, Peter and Louis Budd (eds), A Companion to Mark Twain (2005), especially Part 5.

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American writing?
Failing to earn any suitable income, Duck and King sells Jim as a slave. Huck starts his search
for Jim whom he finds in a captive on Silas and Salls Phelp‟s farm. Here with the help of Tom
Sawyer, he creates a plan for escaping Jim12
.
While escaping the farm, Tom is shot by a gun. Jim in such a consequence, is captured again and
deported to the Phelp‟s farm. Here Tom reveals the entire story to Uncle Silas and his wife. After
this, Jim is freed on his own basis. The Huckeberry Fin finally escapes Jim out of the place.
The Adventure of Huckleberry Fin explores a large number of themes which are again related to
racism and once own identity. The character of Jim exhibits an anxiousness and complexity to
move out of slavery. He tried every way to run away from his fate of being a slave. His tries
every possible way to escape from the place. The Huck is defined as a person who struggles on
his journey. He initially meets Jim, and after knowing his condition decides to help him. Huck‟s
character therefore has been into moral conflict among different members of the society. After a
number of thought exfoliating his mind, he made the decision to help Jim, out of his friendship
and the importance of his role as a human. This is a moral choice which has been made by him.
His decision to help Jim is completely opposite to what has been depicted by Jim13
.
In order to describe the pain associated with slavery, the author has described slavery and
compared it with the most sinful act in the world. A child has been enslaved by his father and is
brutally beaten up and is forced to run away. The author has condemned slavery and the
ruthlessness associated with the same. The isolation of Huck by his father clearly indicates the
12
Robinson, Forrest (ed), Cambridge Companion to Mark Twain (2006), essays by Myra Jehlen and Eric
Lott.
13
Auden, W.H., The Enchafèd Flood: or The Romantic Iconography of the Sea (New York: Random House,
1950)

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Do you see patterns in the treatment of the relationship between slaves and their owners in nineteenth-century
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wraith associated with the slavery. The dead body in the islands towards the end of the novel
comes out to be the father of Huck14
.
In the end a character offers to Adopt Huck who is refused by him on account of his neglecting
for the same.
Patterns in the three forms of writing
All the three books have a complete different storyline and redeem difference in the way the
slaves has been treated. In the very first book, the slave girl is ill-treated and has to face
opposition and suffering in each of her act. She has to face all kind of unworthy treatment by her
masters. Throughout her Childhood she has enjoyed a good life, but after the death of her first
master, she has to face the treatment which is worst then the human beings. All the three books
have been written during the time when the civil war was nearing. The girl in the first book
wants to express her life which is dawned with pain and sufferings. She struggles because of the
message which has been spread among the masses in support of slavery15
. The masters believes
that slaves do not have a heart and soul. They can be abused in any form, irrespective of the fact
that one is a man or a woman. They differentiate the people on the basis of race. „Incident of a
slave girl‟ is a mass awakening which highlights the pain the slaves has been facing for years.
Linda being a slave girl cannot have a home for herself and have to exasperate her life without
home, just because she is a slave. She is continuously raped for years by her master. Does,
humanity give this right, that, someone keeps on raping a girl for years. She has been assaulted in
every possible form. Shrewdness and pain has been depicted in every chapter of the story. Not
14
Brodhead, Richard H., ed., New Essays on Moby-Dick (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986)
15
Feidelson, Charles, Symbolism and American Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953)

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only this, even the wife of Mr. Flint shows brutality to Linda. The writings in this story are quite
provocative. They describes the awful situation with the author has to pass through. It directly
creates an impact among the readers and motivates them to raise their voice against slavery16
.
The second novel, “Berito Cereto” is a revolutionary story of slave‟s empowerment. It starts
from the point where the slaves have been overburdened their masters and have faced all sorts of
miseries. They have now created a conspiracy against the white masters and have launched a
rebellion against them. Initially slaves are depicted to be in the chaotic situation deprived of food
and supplies. But, later on they have shown to be the masters and have control on the entire ship.
The pattern in this novel revives a situation of change. This sudden change has been a result of
the continuous savage that has been done on the slaves for years. These writings give weight to
the uprising and is an initiative to the fitful avenge of the slaves which has been ruthlessly
continuing for years. While in the first story, the girl faces pitiable situation and fights for her
life, the second story speaks about the rebellion. A mass movement rise do the continuous
upbringing by the slaves17
.
The basic theme in the writings of Berito Cereto is „The encounter of the old and the new world‟.
Initially the Captain Delano seems to represent a person who bears the best and the noblest ideas
and believes that the necessity of life includes, adventure, being optimistic, pious and
compassionate. In spite of the same, he is incapable of facing the wickedness as such as “the
good captain”. He feels that something wrong seems to happen due to the discussion among
16
Marx, Leo, The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America (New York:
Oxford University Press, 1963)
17
Olson, Charles, Call Me Ishmael (New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1947; rptd. many times)

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different slaves and the whispering amongst themselves. Another important theme of the story is
the Appearance vs Reality. Throughout the novel it seems that the San Dominick ship has faced
a number of environmental issues but the reality turns out to be completely different18
.
The third novel describes about the slaves and their escape from their masters. It is the novel by
Mark Twain, one of the greatest authors of all times. While the first two books have been
consists of writings about the slaves written on a serious notation, the Huckelberry Fin portrays
the painful situation of the slaves in the most humorous and matured manner. The novel seems to
attack all the traditions of South Korea related to the slaves. The main character of the story is
Huckleberry Finn and the reader judge every character through the eyes of Hucklebery Finn.
All the three writings have been written in the time nearing the civil war. This was the time when
there was a moment for an upbringing, a change and a rebellion. For over three centuries,
slaves have been facing the pain and in human treatment, but the time has come when
they have to fight for their freedom and launch a moment against slavery. In the first
story the author is alone and she fights her situation with bravery. In order to be free from
slavery, she becomes an escapist19
. She is a woman who cares for her children and wants
a family. The slaves unite up in Berito Cereto and proves the world that it is not the
masters who are powerful at all times, but, it is also the slaves who are equally powerful
and can kill the masters. In the third story, the slavery has been again defined with intense
18
Lee, A Robert, ed., Herman Melville: Reassessments (London & NY: Vision & Barnes and Noble, 1984)
19
Rogin, Michael Paul, Subversive Genealogy: The Politics and Art of Herman Melville (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1985)

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cruelty. It shows that how a father can beat his own son and he has to run away in order
to save himself from his own father.
Conclusion
In this report we have analyzed three different slave narratives which have been written by them
in order to depict there pain. The slave narratives is a literary form which has grew out in
the times of 18th
century. They consists of accounts which are written by the slaves
themselves20
. Slave narratives have emerged as one of the primary form of narration of
American literature in 19th
century. In the end of 18th
century slave narratives
formed to be a most effective forms of writings. The novels which have been mentioned
in the report consists of the accounts of the slaves and their escapes towards enslavement
from freedom. Each of the three stories includes different scenarios. While the first story
is a story of a female slave, the second one is the moment against the masters in the form
of a rebellion and the third story is humorous encounter of the escape of the slaves from
their ill fortunes. These slaves‟ narratives represents different kinds of forms each of
which were available according to the different kind of tales. The major classification
was done on the basis of the tales including the stories of religious redemption, the tales
of motivation and inspiration and the ones which are related to one‟s progress. While the
incidents of the life of the slave girl were famous as an inspirational story as they inspired
the people all around, the Berito Cereno was a tale related to the progress as it guided the
people to do the rebellion against the slaves or the people who do wrong to them21
. We
20
Feidelson, Charles, Symbolism and American Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953)
21
Karcher, Carolyn, Shadow Over the Promised Land: Slavery, Race and Violence in Melville’s America
(Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1980)

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American writing?
have studied these three different novels and studied the perspective behind writing those,
the instinct and the motivation behind them and the need for writing these novels. We
have also studied the basic patterns which were followed for writing these novels and the
thoughts which provoked the authors to write about the pains which have been faced by
them, the anti-slavery movement and the rise of the civil war were the after effects of
similar works. These works motivated the people to go against their masters and fight for
their freedom22
. A number of real life accounts were written by the authors which catered
for the American Civil war. Similar to these there were a number of other works were
also mobilized by these people. The message of the slavery movement was powerful and
raised a strong voice against the slaves. Thus, in this report we have given a clear idea
about the different works which were done against the slavery and were written on the
basis of the real life incidents. We have studied the patterns followed in these works and
the kind of rage which was raised in these works. The emphasis of the writers while
writing these works included the recounting of the progress on the individual and overall
basis and revitalizing the motivation and inspiration in order to rise the slavery
movements.
22
Lee, A Robert, ed., Herman Melville: Reassessments (London & NY: Vision & Barnes and Noble, 1984)