The importance of slave narratives is that such inquiry towards an individual and her experiences, not only explains how the slave system works, but as well as exploring the personal life of the slave. This is essential because it adds up to the vitality and relevance of the study, rendering their personal experiences - though hard to narrate – as the most valuable and most accountable parts of the study.The article narrates the particular incidents that happened in the life of a slave.
Particularly, the article includes accounts of African slave culture when it comes to heritage, and practices like that of funerals and even how they celebrate holidays.Based on the article, in slave culture, even in death parent’s heritage still continues thus “renewing relationships of the living to the ancestors.”Though it is undeniably obvious that African slaves do have a very rich culture at their end, it is still inherent to their consciousness that they are inferior and that they base their living towards a slave-master relationship.However, there have been modifications made in the African slave culture as they have adopted certain parts of their culture from other nation’s heritage. Through these modifications, African slaves were able to mold their culture while taking advantage of the acquired Western culture, thus rendering their own being more versed and diversed than before.
Slave culture has transformed but was able to maintain their traditional folkways. Though they had the notion of keeping the heritage, it still happened that slaves got also influenced by North American cultureLinda’s first hand chronicles about their culture and how they live their lives as slaves noted a number of things – that there are rare moments for freedom of expression for slaves; that the few moments of peace through congregations will not erase the pain of being a slave; and there is a dual sided characteristic of secular and spiritual songs, both utilized for some significant and specific purposes.Another important point of view in the article is the high importance given to the role of the family. Family ties are viewed to be close and extended compared to the usual European American households.The article also gives anecdotes on the maltreatment of whites against slaves, depriving them of the right of education, private property and freedom of gaining outside relationships, other than those who are also slaves.Moreover, the African culture instilling the heritage that mustn’t be broken, slaves must always perform and preserve their tradition.
Meaning, the dominant culture would have to always play their part, so as slaves will always have to be slaves by means of acceptance and necessity of merely performing the duty.This is a proof that, there hadn’t been any form of progress or steering away from a heritage that has been passed on. Thus making social change impossible if not, difficult to attain.Beardslee, Karen E. (1999) Through Slave Culture's Lens Comes the Abundant Source: Harriet A.
Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Critical Essay. October 18, 2007 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2278/is_1_24/ai_58411663/pg_8>
