Der Roman "The Known World" ist der einzige Roman von Pulitzer Preisträger Edward P. Jones, und trotzdem war er ein großer Erfolg. Er hat in der amerikanschen Gesellschaft eine erneute Diskussion losgetreten über die wenig bekannte historische Tatsache der schwarzen Sklavenhalter in den Südstaaten des 19. Jahrhunderts. Es wird die moralische und soziale Komponente des Phänomens, wie es im Roman dagestellt wird, untersucht. Ist die Sklaverei vielleicht unter einer dünnen Oberfläche farbenblind? Welche Umstände brachten Afro-Amerikaner dazu Sklaven zu halten? Welche Auswirkungen hatte diese Form der Sklaverei und unterschied sie sich überhaupt von der von Weißen ausgeübten Form? Die Arbeit zeigt anhand der Beispiele in "The Known World", dass Sklaverei in seinen Auswirkungen keine Unterschiede macht, und in seiner inhumanen zerstörerischen Kraft alle sozialen Strukturen vernichtet und in der Tat farbenblind ist.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Color-blind Slavery
1. What Slavery does to Whites
1.1. White Slaveholders
1.2. Non-slaveholding Whites
1.3. White Slaves
1.4. The Slave-Slaveholder Relationship
2. What Slavery does to Blacks
2.1. Black Slaveholders
2.2. Non-slaveholding Blacks
2.3. Black Slaves
2.3.1. Forms of Resistance
2.3.2. The Effects on the Family Structure
3. The Psychological Effects: Ruin for Anybody, Black or White
Conclusion: The Permeation of Every Part of Life
Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines Edward P. Jones's novel "The Known World" to argue that the system of slavery acts as an all-encompassing force that permeates all aspects of life, regardless of race. It explores how the institution forms the foundation for social behavior, personal development, and distorted human relationships within the American South of the 19th century.
- The role of black slaveholders in the context of a racist society.
- The psychological and physical impact of slavery on both masters and the enslaved.
- The erosion of family structures and human dignity under the system.
- Forms of individual and group resistance against enslavement.
- The "colorblind" nature of slavery's ruinous effects on all participants.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. White Slaveholders
The white slave-owners in The Known World are William Robbins, Robert Colfax, John and Winifred Skiffington, Clara Martin, the slave-speculator Darcy, and Counsel Skiffington. While Robbins, the most powerful man in the county, has 113 slaves to his name, and his neighbor Colfax also has a rather large plantation, John and Winifred Skiffington, Clara Martin, Winifred Skiffington’s cousin, and Darcy own only one single slave. Counsel Skiffington, John Skiffington’s cousin, used to own a large plantation before he lost his family and all his slaves due to smallpox.
With all these slave-owners, a very schizophrenic attitude towards their slaves and the institution of slavery can be viewed. Their whole life is dominated by the racist system of slavery: the choice of a spouse, social contacts, and friendships are restricted and regulated. Slavery and racism constitute the whole structure of their society. Although being the superior part, whites show a distorted attitude towards the slaves and free blacks in their environment: love, friendship, and the sense of family and community are highly disturbed. No healthy humanness can develop, because people owning people create fundamental confusion. Notions like friendship and love are suffused with and hindered by racist feelings and prejudices and come out wrong or distorted.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Color-blind Slavery: This section introduces the novel's core questions regarding black slave ownership and sets the stage for the argument that slavery’s systemic effects transcend racial lines.
1. What Slavery does to Whites: This chapter analyzes the various roles of white individuals in the slaveholding system and demonstrates how the institution distorts their personal morality and social relationships.
2. What Slavery does to Blacks: This chapter investigates the complexities of black slaveholders and non-slaveholding blacks, illustrating how they are trapped by the logic and social hierarchies of the same system that oppresses them.
3. The Psychological Effects: Ruin for Anybody, Black or White: This chapter explores the destructive psychological impact of slavery, asserting that the dehumanizing nature of the institution ruins the souls of both the enslaved and the masters.
Conclusion: The Permeation of Every Part of Life: The conclusion summarizes the main findings, reiterating that the system of slavery infiltrates all human connections and fundamentally destroys healthy relations.
Keywords
The Known World, Edward P. Jones, Slavery, Racism, Black Slaveholders, Social Hierarchy, Psychological Impact, Family Structures, Resistance, Human Dignity, American South, Inequality, Power Relations, Institution, Human Relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines how the institution of slavery in 19th-century America, as portrayed in Edward P. Jones's "The Known World," creates a pervasive and destructive influence on the social, psychological, and personal lives of all participants, regardless of their race.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the corrupting influence of power, the breakdown of family structures, the nuances of black slave ownership, forms of resistance, and the universal psychological ruin caused by systemic dehumanization.
What is the primary research objective?
The primary goal is to demonstrate that while the slavery system in the American South was inherently racist, its ruinous effects on human psychology and social behavior were "colorblind," affecting both black and white individuals negatively.
Which scientific approach or methodology is used?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, investigating the text through the lens of historical context and psychological impact, drawing on sociological and literary theories of slavery.
What aspects of the slave-master relationship are covered in the main body?
The analysis covers the hierarchical structures of these relationships, the "schizophrenic" attitudes of owners, the lack of genuine human connection, and how societal expectations forced individuals into behaviors that destroyed their own humanity.
Which keywords best describe the paper's focus?
Key terms include "The Known World," "Slavery," "Black Slaveholders," "Psychological Ruin," "Racism," and "Human Dignity."
How does the author characterize the motivation of black slaveholders in the novel?
The author depicts black slave ownership as a logical, albeit tragic, development where individuals played by the existing social rules to gain status, prestige, and security in a society that offered them no other path to advancement.
What role does the "omniscient narrator" play in the author's argument?
The narrator serves to highlight the "omnipresent permeation of life" by slavery, connecting past, present, and future generations to show how the systemic bitterness of the institution lingers long after the actual enslavement has ended.
How does the paper differentiate the resistance strategies of characters like Alice and Elias?
Alice is presented as a character who uses an "insanity" mask to gain freedom of movement and study her environment, while Elias represents a man whose resistance is defined by his struggle to build an intact, private family life in defiance of the plantation system.
- Quote paper
- Julia Merkel (Author), 2006, What Slavery Does to Whites and Blacks in Edward P. Jones's "The Known World", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/63381
