Two Sides
Description: Two African American women slaves in the same era and circumstance, yet how differently they were treated by their slave owners. Those slaves were Phyllis Wheatly and Harriet Jacobs. An essay in reflection of their different lives and how it affected their poetry.
Phyllis Wheatly and Harriet Jacobs were both slaves in the same time era yet were able to become completely different woman. Unfortunately, Harriet has to grow up in a much harsher environment whereas Phyllis was encouraged to be educated. Obviously, it is a shame what both women had to go through, but they still somehow managed to free themselves in their writing. Due to the fact that both women had different living environments their writing become a mirror the of the life they were leading.
Phyllis Wheatly had, what was considered, an easier life than most slaves. Her slave owners were more nicer than the vast majority. The household in which she lived, she was encouraged to become educated where as other slaves would have been punished for doing so. Phyllis choose to express her experiences and emotions through poetry. Her poetry expressed her life events and it carried her feelings on the way she was brought up. Phyllis was very fortunate to have owners who gave her permission to learn and because of that she was able to express herself. So in a way she was free through her writing. Sure her life as a slave was also very difficult but she had happier moments to look back on when her owners passed away. In essence, her writing gave off a much more pleasant aurora compared to that of Harriet.
Harriet Jacob was also a slave in about the same lifestyle as Phyllis. Harriet, however, was not as fortunate to have supportive owners to her education. Her living environment was much harder and abusive to say the least. In her living arrangements, her master would abuse her sexually and even went as far as to say he considered her his “favorite”. Harriet’s literature is more direct in that she chose to write a story about her life as an abused slave. Her writing reflected everything about her slave life, even the abusive parts, which I believe made her writing much more powerful. She was mistreated by her owners, which was much more common upon salves but she was able to write about it. Harriet was given the chance to tell her story and share with people her misfortune which now people can learn from,
Both women’s writings are beautiful in their own way despite their hard upbringings. In their writings you can clearly get an insight on how slavery was like from different perceptions. Though their lives were different, both women had a chance to write and that is important. I also think that thought it is sad that they had to live as slaves, their writing wouldn’t be what it is without those life experiences. It is because of their hardships that their writing is even being talked about today. At the very least the generations since then have learned how it felt to be in situation such as theirs. In conclusion, the only thing that these writers had in common in their writing was their focus on themes of virtue and Christianity. So in their end, despite their different struggles, both women shared the one common thing and that is faith.