"White people believed that whatever the manners, under every dark skin was a jungle. Swift unnavigable waters, swinging screaming baboons, sleeping snakes, red gums ready for their sweet white blood." (234)
I brought up this quote because it has a similar message was brought up by Harriet Jacobs in chapter 10 of Incidents of a Slave Girl.
"Pity me, and pardon me, o virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of a chattel, entirely subject to the will of another."
Both texts go into detail about the perception of Whites towards blacks during slavery. Blacks were seen as animals, they had no value, no self-definition. So of course, looking upon them outside of the slavery system they were seen to be jungle like. A kind of people that did and acted in unethical ways. Some examples would be when Linda Brent slept with Mr. Sands in order to infuriate and frustrate her master, Dr. Flint, or how Sethe slashed her own daughter's throat in order to free her from the life of slavery. These acts are morally mind boggling but these were humans that were deprived of humanity. Slaves did what they could to escape, to define themselves, to establish a family, and to be known they were to be treated equally. Of course they had a jungle beneath their "dark skin." They had no choice but to act that way since Whites pushed, forced, and encouraged that beast like behavior.
These texts reveals a state of insomnia, not physically but metaphorically speaking. Slaves were subjected to the will of others, there was no resting from that will. They lived day and night pondering their freedom, wondering when they would actually get a good nights sleep. Sethe was able to to create a life of domesticity for herself and her children yet the past tends to taunt and haunt her present. Linda was not so lucky' because of her re-enslavement she had yet to fulfill her dream of owning home for her and her children to delight in. These insomniac elements continues to leave a jungle beneath.
Both texts go into detail about the perception of Whites towards blacks during slavery. Blacks were seen as animals, they had no value, no self-definition. So of course, looking upon them outside of the slavery system they were seen to be jungle like. A kind of people that did and acted in unethical ways. Some examples would be when Linda Brent slept with Mr. Sands in order to infuriate and frustrate her master, Dr. Flint, or how Sethe slashed her own daughter's throat in order to free her from the life of slavery. These acts are morally mind boggling but these were humans that were deprived of humanity. Slaves did what they could to escape, to define themselves, to establish a family, and to be known they were to be treated equally. Of course they had a jungle beneath their "dark skin." They had no choice but to act that way since Whites pushed, forced, and encouraged that beast like behavior.
These texts reveals a state of insomnia, not physically but metaphorically speaking. Slaves were subjected to the will of others, there was no resting from that will. They lived day and night pondering their freedom, wondering when they would actually get a good nights sleep. Sethe was able to to create a life of domesticity for herself and her children yet the past tends to taunt and haunt her present. Linda was not so lucky' because of her re-enslavement she had yet to fulfill her dream of owning home for her and her children to delight in. These insomniac elements continues to leave a jungle beneath.
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