19th Century rural New England family was a protrusion of slave-master relationship that affected all facets of American socio-cultural life. The narrative of Frederick Douglass describe that interracial relationships between a slave woman and male master were common but these relationships never got any social or religious sanctity. Douglass portrayal of his mother clearly indicates the relationship with her master provided no solace to him but rather aggravated her pathos and miseries.
It further manifest that such relationships were not based on any mutual warmth but were a manifestation of ‘gratification of their (masters) wicked desires profitable as well as pleasurable”. (p. 166) The slave child, production of this relationship, was not entitled to any privileges or rights, socially or legally. So it was quite likely that “the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the conditions of their mothers” (p. 167)
These slave children were also deprived of maternal affection as “it [was] a common custom, in the part of Maryland…, to part children from their mothers at a very early age. Frequently, before the child [had] reached its twelfth month, its mothers is taken from it, and hired out on some farm a considerable distance off… (p. 165) The mother-children relations were cordial but they were not allowed to meet quite often as Douglass himself saw his mother five or six times during her lifetime.
The relationship never developed as there was very little communication between mothers and their children. These children were also kept ignorant of their birthdates and parentage. They were also shorn of basic necessities of life like clothing, lodging and nutrition. Furthermore, these slave-children were subjected to amplified hardship as compared with other slaves because they were “a constant offence to their mistress”. This also highlights that 19th century rural family of New England was not solely patriarchal but women had immense influence in the affair of household.
The Essay on Mother-Daughter Relationships
Pre-oedipal gender configurations, she emphasizes the importance of the mother and society in a child’s development. In contrast to Freud’s emphasis on the father, castration anxiety, and other masculine concepts, Chodorow argues that the mother plays the most significant role in a child’s development. A child’s pre-oedipal relationship with their mother is rich, long-lasting, and preexists any ...
For example, Douglass writes, “The master is frequently compelled to sell this class of his slaves, out of deference to the feeling of his white wife. ”(p. 166) Similarly, relationship with other member of his parental family were used to be harsh and they were used to undergo harsh treatment and whipping by their white brothers quite frequently. There was no intimacy between slave brothers and sisters and their mutual relationship never developed due the absence of a central tie i. e. parentage.
On the other hand, it is illustrated that the role of slave woman in the community were limited to heavy toil and labor at plantations, fulfillment of master’s lusts and sexual desires whenever needed. Their emotional, psychological and mental health was never taken into consideration. The relations of these slave girls and slave children to the community were totally utilitarian and totalitarian as they were used as tool to increase the agricultural production and to satisfy the savage desires and habitual formations of the masters respectively.
These slaves were regarded as an entity that was included in their (master’s) property rights and were sanctioned by socio-legal system. So in the wide social perspective, slaves acted as economic instruments and this subordination was characterized not only by commercial necessities but also by psychological phenomenon i. e. to satisfy the human propensities by subjecting them harsh punishments.
