Instruction
1. Wheatley sees herself in these poems as an American, a Christian, black, and a woman. What is the relative importance of each of these terms—which seem most significant to her? Though Wheatley died obscure and poor (but emancipated) in her early 30’s, we still must regard her as a particularly successful American slave. What does she suggest about negotiating America as a member of an allegedly inferior group?
2. Describe Douglass’s take on this question of how the American Other ought to speak. Have we seen this in any of our authors thus far—which author best exemplifies his principles? (Is it Douglass himself?) In addition, would Douglass’s ideas be appropriate for every circumstance in which our authors write about the Other?
3. Part of Stowe’s genius as author is her capacity to make readers care deeply about her characters. Stowe was white, but she writes in UTC with great sensitivity about the inner life of African-Americans. So, we care about Eliza and Tom, but do we respect them as fully human? That is, are there ways in which Stowe condescends to these characters—how (if at all) does she write about them as specifically black rather than merely human? (You’re free to take either side or both—that Stowe does or does not condescend.)