This comment was written by Ashley on 27 Oct 2016.

Caitlin's Praxis Journal

"If a slave was depressed, insubordinate, or acted out it was the fault of the slave, not the system."

This point is pretty crucial, I think, to any meaningful understanding of how slavery worked and of the motivations behind what truly was a very brutal insurrection. The point you make here is a subtle and thoughtful one -- for whites, if Turner is a "fanatic," then his mind is distorted and his actions are not a reflection of slavery. This helps to suppress the realization of the brutality that is not just a byproduct but actually integral to slavery. A subjugated person who refuses to comply must be internally flawed because to recognize that slavery might engender this reaction (and out of rational, careful consideration rather than irrational insubordination) would mean acknowledging the depth of slavery's cruelty.

Baker's version of the "Confessions" really makes this point and Jacobs's narrative explores the inner workings of the psychology within relationships between masters and slaves.

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