Essay Questions

Why does the status of an apprentice not make sense for the slaves?

The slaves had anticipated that the Emancipation Act would grant them absolute freedom. However, the slave owners tell them they have ceased to be slaves; they give them new titles (apprentices). Shearer explains, "By law, they would work for him for six years. They could not leave…They would tend to the cane until the next harvest and the harvest after. Six years of cutting and planting and cutting again." The skewed interpretation of the Emancipation Proclamation is intended to enslave black people for another six grueling years. Being an apprentice is not in any way different from being a slave. The conditions of slavery persist even after the proclamation, which is a big setback for people that have longed for freedom for more than a century.

What is the irony of the name “Providence”?

The conditions at Providence at degrading for the slaves; the dehumanization is not a destiny that should be attributed to God's providence. For example, Rachael's life revolves around the planting of cane, "The musty smell of her hut. Days of labor…her life as neatly plowed as the furrows in the field." Providence denotes divine care for humanity. The life slaves led at Providence cannot be said to be a form of divine care. The torturous life is comparable to hell.

Provide an example of how slaves are objectified and treated as inferior.

The slaves are deprived of everything, including their dignity and children. To illustrate, Shearer writes, "All her (Rachel's) life, nothing had belonged to her, not even the children pushed out of her own body." Her children are disposable commodities that are sold off. Her birthing is in the interest of the slave owners, not her own. There are overseers in the plantations that control the slaves’ lives; thus, slaves cannot enjoy liberty.