Narration and Texts

DTS403H1S
Final Essay
Simone Thomas
996041545


Narration and Texts




Narratives are important pieces of history. They provide insight to the past. Written narratives offer links that would not have been able to be made. These written texts are part of a story that is passed down from generation to generation. Written texts are objects that symbolize the importance of human agency and the ability to share one’s story. More specifically, the text The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave by Mary Prince is an object that forces one to remember and to reflect. This text was given to me from my grandmother, which was given to her by her grandmother.

The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave is a representation of a female slave. Published in 1831, it circulated widely across Britain(Ferguson, 1992). Though the story depicts the life of a slave, Mary Prince, the story is narrated by a member of the anti-slavery society. It was the first narrative of a black woman published in Britain. Once confiding to British abolitionists, Mary Prince receives work and assistance by the anti-slavery society. The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave outlines that emancipation maintains systems of power and control. This text outlines the power dynamics which shaped race, gender, and labor of black enslaved women (Ferguson, 1992). It is part of a narration that recites story of change and development.

The text is recorded during the height of the abolition movement in Britain. This text is shaped by the conditions of production. Thus this text is used a piece or propaganda towards the movement (Ferguson, 1992). The abolitionists constructed it to fit a distinct agenda to share messages or concern and to provide evidence. As mentioned in the introduction of the text, the initial ideas are that of Mary Prince. However every aspect of the text is edited (Carretta,1996). This shows the relationship between power, race, gender, and labor.

This object is part of several cultural processes. This object was sued as part of the British abolition movement in the 19th century. It articulated that “Britain’s mission was to bring to him “the Divine gift” of civilization” (Ferguson, 1992). The abolition movement was used as a tool to civilize enslaved people. The feeds on the idea that slaves were to be taught and constructed. This strengthens the power dynamic between those who are enslaved and within power. “Indeed, by the late nineteenth century, a similar pride in Britain’s civilizing mission would rationalize imperialism” (Ferguson, 1992). This mission allows imperialism to take on a new form. Abolition still allows for discrimination, supremacy, and control to continue. An example of this scheme to civilize others was the conversion to Christianity. “Afro-Briton publications in prose took the form of spiritual autobiographies that trace the transition from pagan beliefs to the Christianity shared with the author’s British readers” (Caretta, 1996). A goal of the abolition movement was to Christianize the enslaved people. Enslaved people who converted to religion were seen as virtuous and civilized. This object had a particular purpose at this point in time.

This object was created with a particular agenda. The abolitionists depict Mary Prince in a certain manner, thus they shape the outcome of the text. Several Evangelical abolitionists present Mary Prince in a very moral fashion. The text is used to uphold her virtue as a female. For instance, Mrs. Pringle states, “We have found her perfectly honest and trustworthy” (Prince, 2000). The abolitionists portray Prince in a well mannered way. Her conversion to Christianity plays a large role in this. As well the abolitionists try to subdue her sexual experiences. This is done to ensure that Mary Prince is seen as a Christian and this worthy of being listened to(Caretta, 1996). These express the “demands made by the emancipation campaign in its intense final stage and the evangelical views of desirable female behavior” (Ferguson, 1992). This shapes the way in which Prince’s narrative is written. Details are changed to reflect this ideology (Caretta, 1996). This text was made to tell a story and to share information about emancipation.

There are several other factors that influence the way that this text is written. For instance there is a shift in power in the British metropole. “The abolition of slavery could strengthen the authority of the government and the state” (Blackburn, 1988). This reshaped those who held power. The text was created out of a political agenda to ensure a hierarchy of control still remained. This also shaped new ideas that were emerging out for this new formed government. “Anti-slavery thought “justified state intervention in regulating the workings of economic contract” (Blackburn, 1988). Abolition was seen as economically feasible. It was believed that was cheaper to use wage labor than slave labor (Blackburn, 1988). These ideas only strengthen notions that a hierarchy of power was to be maintained. Abolition did not call for a revamping of power dynamics.

Despite how emancipation came about “it was produced to reassure planters that emancipation would be accomplished in such a way to ensure to the West Indian estates a continuing supply of labor” (Blackburn, 1988). Abolition would ensure that planters controlled labor. This granted power to control every aspect of a slave’s life. “Schemes for emancipation thus included discussions of ways in which former slaves could be barred from significant land ownership while vagrancy laws penalized attempts to leave the plantation” ( Blackburn, 1988). None of these motives are used to grant liberty to the enslaved. These conditions for abolition constrain the freedoms of the enslaved people. Abolition maintains the existing power structure.

Furthermore, the context in which the text is written is shaped by these factors. “After it had been thus written out, I went over the whole, carefully examining her on every fact and circumstance details” (Prince, 2000). An abolitionist by the name of Mr. Pringle speaks of the authenticity of the text. His introduction reflects the need to represent Mary Prince. Mary Prince can not speak on her behalf. Thus Prince is heard through the voice of the abolitionists (Caretta, 1996). This represents the power dynamics in which she faces. This shaped the ways in which it is recorded. The slave voice can only be heard through the master. It expresses “the limitations on a female’s slaves right to authorship and publication” (Ferguson, 1992). Mary Prince can not write her own narrative. This is due to the fact that she is a woman and because she is a slave. “Slaves could not represent themselves” (Ferguson, 1992). As a black female her voice and concerns could not be heard without the abolitionists. This reiterates the power dynamics in which Mary Prince is facing.

The cover of this text depicts this as well. Mary Prince is on her knees pleading for recognition of her humanity. The abolitionist movement does not change the conditions in which Prince faces (Ferguson, 1992). Prince is discriminated as a woman. Prince is treated defiantly because of her race. Though abolition will end slavery it would not change existing notions or race, gender, and labor. As a black female, Mary Prince would still be positioned at the bottom end of a hierarchy of power (Ferguson, 1992). Prince is still expected to work in relation to a master. As a black female, Prince is expected to work as labor unit for existing power structures. Every aspect of Princes’ life is still controlled with even with abolition (Ferguson, 1992).

This narrative gives insight into the lived experiences of the people of the Caribbean. It is historically significant because it reflects the conditions of the enslaved people based on race, gender and labor. It represents “tales about the silenced living and the silent dead” (Ferguson p. 1992). It reflects the silencing of voices through the power dynamics that shape their every day lives. Most importantly this text represents “the collective movement for black women’s rights that was to be notable absent” (Ferguson, 1992) in the British anti-slavery movement. Emancipation does not end the master slave relationship. It continues with abolition where very aspect of life is controlled.

Abolition marked the end of slavery, while emancipation marked the liberation of slaves. But freedom was something more than solely the two. Once slavery ended, expectations of freedom were expected. As seen in Frederick Douglass, “My Bondage and My Freedom,” these expectations were not fulfilled following liberation. Emancipation did not provide freedom due to social, economic, legal and political obstacles. By examining the stereotypes of the particulars of emancipation, followed by the social, economic, legal, and political disappointments of liberation during and after slavery, the limitations of emancipation were evident.

Frederick Douglas’ text explains how he experienced emancipation by escaping and running away. He joined the abolition movement with very high hopes. As a member of this association he stated, “My acquaintance with the movement increased my hope for the ultimate freedom of my race, and I united with it from a sense of delight, as well as a duty” (Douglas, 2003). Douglass wanted freedom for all slaves. He believed that emancipation could offer this. Likewise Mary prince was associated with the abolitionist movement in Britain. She experienced emancipation by running away from her former masters. Her narrative portrayed a sense of content that came along with her liberation. After living in Britain over a period of twelve months, she explained the lifestyle of ex-slaves in Britain. Prince remarked, “They hire servants in England; and if they don’t like them, they send them away: they can’t lick them,” followed by the statement that “they have their freedom (Prince, 2000).

Mary Prince also depicted the stereotypical life that was expected after emancipation. There was the belief that the slave would become free and could therefore do anything they wanted. This is also seen by the Princes of Calabar. Once brought to England they are treated with much respect (Sparks, 2002). The Robin John brothers attended school, were baptized under the Methodist faith, and were befriended by the elite classes of England. They “spent their time studying scripture and attending preaching,” as well as “they studied gardening and agriculture” (Sparks, 2002). Sparks portrayed the life after emancipation as one without ordeal. The Robin Johns appeared to be pleased with their newfound lives after emancipation. Both Mary Prince and the Princes of Calabar enjoyed their liberty in Britain. Both incidents revealed a happy ending to emancipation. It gave the idea that emancipation provided freedom. This is shown by the blissful tone of the stories of their lives after the end of their hardships in slavery.

But Douglass revealed something different. Emancipation offered Douglass something he did not want or expect. In a letter to Garrison, Douglass wrote, “as to nation, I belong to none. I have no protection at home, or resting-place abroad. The land of my birth welcomes me to her shores as a slave, and spurns with contempt the idea of treating me differently; so that I am an outcast from the society of my childhood, and an outlaw in the land of my birth” (Douglas, 2003). Douglass explained that he was treated as an outcast after his liberation. He was not welcomed in the land that he grew up in or the land where his ancestors were born. It was evident that emancipation allowed slaves to be free of a master, but it did not offer them freedom; for emancipation brought upon many disappointments and limitations (Douglas, 2003). But when black slaves were liberated, risking death or not, they did not experience freedom afterwards. It was evident that emancipation presented many restrictions (Douglas, 2003).

These texts act as informers. They provide knowledge about the experience of emancipated people. These texts discuss the process of emancipation and how it came to be. The texts reveal that black individuals through the Caribbean and the United States encountered some form of limitation on their newfound liberty. Though they went through the process of emancipation, illegally or legally, these individuals did not reach freedom (Douglas, 2003). Frederick Douglass was still in search of freedom. He wrote this piece of literature to break the silence of what emancipation entailed. He wanted to end this illusion that emancipation brought upon absolute happiness. As seen in various parts of the world, emancipation occurred at different times. In Jamaica it occurred in 1838 and in the United States it occurred in 1865 (Douglas, 2003). This emancipation set up a false interpretation for the future lives of the former slaves. The term emancipation imposed a universal freedom set upon all people despite of race. But in reality it took longer for changes to occur (Douglas, 2003). This abrupt emancipation of a people could not change public opinion. Due to the social, economic, legal and political limitations, slaves did not experience freedom immediately after emancipation. Emancipation was supposed to act as a tool to lead the black slaves to freedom. Instead it offered an additional route which opened up new forms of evils (Douglas, 2003). Ultimately racial discrimination was continued to maintain the division between the races and to withhold the black race from attaining freedom.

These texts are part of a memory. It is part of a moment in time, which generates a connection to the past. It had diasporic qualities because it is able to recognize a moment in history that continues to be remembered. These same stories are part of a narrative that formulates meanings for those who use them. These texts are used to recognize, to remember, to understand, and to inform. The way that people interact with this text in the past reflects the way that people interact with this text today. The texts were circulated throughout Britain and the British Empire. They would have been read at meetings amongst abolitionists. After they reached the shores of the United States and spread amongst Abolitionists in North America. These objects circulated to share a message. They had a particular function.

In “Objects, Exchange, Anthropology,” Miller discusses the exchange relations within social life. Transactions are part of our every day lives. People tend to know how to much share or to give with someone else. The properties of exchange “derives from broader cultural structures and premises, from inequalities and asymmetries in rights over people, social groups, and their products” (Miller, 2010). In this case, the exchange of this text was shaped by the social grouping of different people. The inequalities that existed at the time and the power dynamics determined how these transactions were executed. Also, exchanges involve relations that may not be part of the original exchange. The “first exchangeability of this depends on their cultural features and the ways in which it fits in to a society” (Miller, 2010). The texts were produced and published to provide evidence. They highlight the atrocities of slavery. It is a narration of personal suffering. It appeals to the moral judgment of the audience. The texts were written to move people, to make them feel, and to make them want to achieve something.

In similar these meanings are negotiated in new contexts of interaction. A student, a professor, or anybody that picks up this text can read it and is able to connect with it in a similar manner. It generates feeling in someone that reads it. It was made to do so. It is an account of feelings and relationships. It demands for empathy. One can read the text as evidence of moral. Someone can learn to understand the complexities of abolition and emancipation through texts such as these. One can decipher a general sense of plantation structures, relationships, and slave owner dynamics. It explores the physical and emotional abuse of plantations. One can also identify with Mary Prince to learn more about the history of black individuals in Britain. It has a form of intimacy which asserts a form of subjectivity.

Miller begins his article with a discussion about the function of objects. Here function is an aspect of humanity’s adaptation to the environment (Miller, 2010). However Miller argues that there never was a functional society that was solely concerned with the function of things. Instead, the ways objects are produced reflect the complexity and elaboration of a ritual or social distinction (Miller, 2010). One must look at objects with a material culture theory. Objects are framed in a certain context. Generally this frame is not seen and humans are unaware of how that framing can constrain them.

Likewise Mary Prince was framed in a particular manner. Mary Prince dictated her life story to Susanna Strickland, an abolitionist. The preface and the supplement in the text were written by Thomas Pringle. Black slaves were not allowed to write on their behalf. The Christian abolitionists wrote for them. There was little access for literacy for slaves. The ideas come from Mary Prince. Mary Prince sat beside the abolitionist and gave her account. She provided a series of protests to generate discussion and change; however the text is framed and controlled by the abolitionist. The language of the text was in the words of the abolitionists (Carretta, 1996). The abolitionist wrote down what was said and put it into a language that could be understood by the larger public. In addition, the text was edited through the publishing process.

People make things, which represent them or others, but also it is important to see how things make people as well (Thomas, 1991). This text constructs the way people identify. In different spaces people see this text as a memento of the human displacement of thousands of people. In an interview with a University of Toronto student of Afro Caribbean descent, she explains how the text is a reminder of how vast the slave trade was. People moved from region to region. Likewise this text moved from region. It underlines where people were displaced to. The text reached several parts of the African eastern coast, as well as the colonies in the Caribbean. Its route corresponds with the route of the slave trade and the route that ideas about abortion traveled.

This text can convey different meanings with audiences. A scholar can use this text to unravel historical processes, geographical displacements, and political power structures. A student can use this text to learn about the origins of the abolitionist movement and the end of the slave trade. A descendent of someone from the Afro-Caribbean, Afro-American, or Afro-British community can sue this text to be familiar with the history of their diasporic communities and the development of a distinct diasporic community.

Texts such as The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave are part of the identity of a diasporic community. It provides a sort of distinctiveness that generates a uniting element amongst people within this diaspora. Thus one internalizes the meaning of the object. In this way, the object is an actor because it is acting on individuals (Latour, 2007). Objects affect how we perceive and understand things. In an interview with a single mother of Afro-Caribbean descent, she explains why this object really matters. She outlines her relationship with this object. She sates “it is important to know your roots. It is important to understand where you’re from to know where you are going.” An overarching theme that arose across the interviews was the past connections to the present, and also to the future. For one to comprehend the world in which they live today, they must be aware of what went on before to be able to completely and wholeheartedly identify who they are. Mary Prince’s narrative is not just a tale about a slave who was able to share her story with two abolitionists. When a person picks up the text, they are not solely reading a chronicle of events. They are reconnecting with their roots. A familiarization with one’s origin is fundamental to how one identifies oneself and how one identifies within a diasporic community.

Narratives are essential pieces of history. They grant insights to the past. Written narratives present links that would not have been able to be made. These written texts are part of a story that is passed down from generation to generation. The text The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave is an object that is part of history. It forces one to remember and to reflect. Though this text was given to me from my grandmother, it has several different meanings and values attached to it.















BIBLIOGRAPHY



Blackburn, Robin. The Overthrow of Colonial Slavery, 1776-1848 (London: Verso, 1988), pp. 419-472.

Carretta, Vincent. “Introduction,” in Unchained Voices: An Anthology of Black Authors in the English Speaking World of the Eighteenth Century (Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1996).

Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom ed. John David Smith. New York: Penguin Books, 2003

Ferguson, Moira. Subject to Others: British Women Writers and Colonial Slavery, 1670-1834 (New York: Routledge, 1992), pp. 273-298.

Latour, B. (2007) Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Miller, D. Stuff. London: Polity Press, 2010.

Prince, Mary. The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave, ed. Sara Salih. New York: Penguin Books, 2000 (1831).

Sparks, Randy J. “Two Princes of Calabar: An Atlantic Odyssey From Slavery to dddddddFreedom,” The William and Mary Quarterly, 59, 2002.

Thomas, N. Entangled Objects: Exchange, Material Culture and Colonialism in the Pacific, chapter 1, 1991.