Reflections on Law and Literature of Slavery and Resistance
Introduction
I have never had the opportunity to take an English class that focused on slave poems and narratives. Before enrolling in Christina's class, I had been aware of slave narratives, having read portions in history classes, but had never acknowledged them as a separate genre of literature. At the same time, slave narratives and poems are more than a genre; they tell stories of real lives and reflect the injustices of the law.
In "Law and Literature of Slavery and Resistance," I learned new interpretation techniques for these texts. Most of the narratives I read had complex perspectives, whether intentional by the author or because someone else had compromised the point of view, and focused on a variety of themes including authenticity and authority, critiques of the law, and resistance against an inhuman institution. The most important thing I learned in the class was to read between the lines, so to speak. Sometimes what was not said, or said indirectly, was more powerful than the words on the page. Equally as important was being aware of the filter in which we receive information, who interpreted what was said and who wrote down those interpretations. Issues revolved around context, subtext, and intertextual analysis. Slaves had limited voices, but that did not mean there was not a lot to say. It's more a manner of decoding what was said to find new interpretations of the author's intent.
This web site, although useful as a resource for a slave narrative class, was created for personal exploration. I wanted an opportunity to reflect on some of the ideas raised in the class as well as a forum where I could lay out additional information. To keep matters simple, I categorized the people and issues I was studying under poetry, narrative, or law. The poetry and narrative sections contain information about two people, one studied in class and one not studied. Within these pages are biographical information as well as links for full texts versions of the poems or narratives and areas to go for further information. Under the section labeled laws, I provided information about two laws that were mentioned in many, if not all, of the narratives we read. Under the bibliography section, which I spent the most time on, I researched sources available for HSU students.