Gender in Slave Narratives

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and analyzes "The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave" by Mary Prince and "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, the African" by Olaudah Equiano. The writer details the various similarities and differences in both narrative autobiographies which tell the stories of two West Indie slaves, one male the other female. The writer of this paper cites various sections of text from both novels which attest to the obvious differences between the genders. One example citing the differences between the two sexes focuses on Prince's experiences as a slave in which she only briefly touches on the abuse inflicted by her masters while Equiano speaks of it much more openly and in detail. The writer contends and explains that both narratives clearly illustrate the relevance of gender in the slave trade and in the telling of the actual stories which are cited in this paper. This paper details the plots of both novels while also examining the West Indie slave trade during the 18th century.

From the Paper:

"While Equiano also made friends with young people and followed his master at his master's whim when he was a boy, his experiences were different. He served one master, and the master treated him more like a pet than a slave. He played with other children, he made lifelong friends, and he began to learn the ways of the seas. Already, the difference between the two children is striking. Equiano has not really seen any hard labor or punishment, and has not really lived the life of a slave as most do, while Prince has already been torn from two families and her mother, and worked hard from a very young age. Equiano's experience is not typical, but had he been a female, he probably would not have had the experience at all. As the slaves grow older, so do their duties and their differences. Prince is sold to a cruel household where she has to do both inside and outside duties such as cooking, farming, cleaning, washing, and nearly all the tasks of a busy household."

More papers on Gender in Slave Narratives:

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• Comparison Essay # 109753 : "Slavery Narratives"

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