Letters To Linda
By: Jay Patel
Letter 1- Cruelties of Slavery Dear Linda, You have had to face the struggles of being a Slave and being considered somebody else's property. Slavery tears apart family and friends. It deteriorate the people that have been forced to give up their lives work as a slave. Slavery dehumanizes the human into an economic tool. Few slaves get the freedom that they long for. As a Slave, you are not protected by any laws all regulations are completely how to the whim of your “Master.” Throughout your autobiography, you have written and discussed the cruelties of the institution of slavery. I'm sure that you can agree, based on your autobiography, that slavery is a cruel institution that must be dismantled. The cruelties of slavery can be seen in the punishments, or should I say tortures, that slaves must endure for no legitimate reasons at all. For example, Mrs. Flint forced you to walk outside barefooted in the snow because she did not like the sound that you shoes for making. But in reality she was just jealous of you since her relationship with her husband was strained. This show the cruelty of the slavery system since you were forced to endure pain just because of childish jealousy. Another instance, in your autobiography, where the reader could see the cruelties of the slavery system, is when you stated the quote, on page 27 of your autobiography “No matter whether the slave girl be as black as ebony or as fair as her mistress. In either case, there is no shadow of law to protect her from insult, from violence, or even from death; all these are inflicted by fiends…” In this quote, cruelty is shown since no laws protect slaves from their masters, so masters can do anything they want to Slaves. Slavery is a cruel and inhuman institution that needs to be brought down and dissolved. However the cruel institution of slavery is so deeply rooted and engrained into the life and culture of the South, it is considered an everyday, normal occurrence. In order to successfully stop the cruel system of slavery, we have to show how cruel it really is. Slavery physically, mentally, and emotionally deteriorates humans into economic tools. It the dehumanizes them. It splits apart families and friends. Slaves are left to fend for themselves against their cruel masters. Slavery is a cruel institution and the bane of humanity. It must be defeated now. Sincerely, Jay Patel
Beloved Linda, Letter 2- Dehumanization Slavery is a cruel institution whose aim is to deteriorate human beings into economic tools. Slaves are treated as if they are animals, maybe even worse. We cannot take away the elements of a human away from the human. We have to keep culture and other human elements inside of people in order to fight dehumanization. In your autobiography you have discussed experiences in which you or other people that you are close to have to fight dehumanization on top of being slave. One group of people that have to face widespread dehumanization are slaves. However one way to fight the cruel act of dehumanization is to preserve culture and traditions in order to help the human elements stay alive and prosper within the community even when dealt with the numerous other cruelties of slavery. I think that you would agree with this point since throughout your autobiography you have talked about and discussed numerous times when you or others have experienced dehumanization and have fought against it. One example of slaves courageously fighting the horrors of dehumanization can be seen on chapter 22. In this chapter, you talk about the Christmas celebrations and festivities that Slaves gather to partake in. This chapter of the autobiography shows how slaves are courageously fighting the cruelties of dehumanization through culture and tradition. Another instance of dehumanization that you have faced was when Dr. Flint tried, numerous times to take away you and your kids back to his plantation. This was an instance of dehumanization because Dr. Flint tried to make you mentally, physically, and emotionally his property. However you fought against this dehumanization by not giving in and going to his plantations as well as continuing your journey for freedom. On top of this you have shown another instance of dehumanization by stating in your autobiography that if a Slave did not want to come with his master, he would be whipped and thrown in jail.This is an instance of dehumanization sent the slaves are being forced to go with their “masters� as if they were property. the struggle against the humanization is part of a bigger struggle overall fighting the motives and intentions of slavery. It is a protest against the intentions of slavery and slave masters. No human should have to be separated from the elements that make the human, such as
their culture, traditions, etc. Dehumanization is a protest that we can all take part in. We have to fight to keep the cultures and traditions that make us human alive and not end up outlawed. Sincerely, Jay Patel
Dear Linda,
Letter 3- Trials and Tribulations for Freedom
You have had to face so many struggles in your life to get the freedom that everybody is entitled to, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. Throughout your autobiography you expressed the physical, mental, and emotional stresses and suffering that you had to go through in order to achieve your rightful freedom. You had to lose so many years of your life to pain in order to free both yourself and your family. You had to endure things that people would only see in their nightmares. For example, you had to spend 7 years, almost a decade, in a small hiding place so you would not be recaptured by Dr. Flint. However, in the end you manage to achieve freedom. It is no easy task for a Slave to achieve freedom from the cruel institution in which they are forced to work and suffer. Your own story shows the struggle to escape to the north and achieve freedom. For example, throughout the, text you mention how slave owners, such as Dr. Flint, would tell their slaves lies about life in the North. They would say that life was deplorable for former slaves. This is all in an attempt to keep slaves in the cruel system of slavery. However, you took a risk of deciding to escape to the north because you did not know, for certain, if Dr. Flint was telling the truth or not. This shows how slaves most make the big decision of either believing the false claims of their slave masters, who they may think is telling the truth, or the risk going to the north where they do not truly know, for certain, if life is better than the South. Another part of the autobiography that shows the struggle to attain freedom was when you had to stay in a small hiding place for seven years. In those seven years, you have to live in constant fear of being captured by Dr. Flint, as you and your family made decisions about how to escape to the north. On top of this, in your autobiography, you discuss and talk about how you were not truly free in the North. for example you live in constant fear of being captured and sent back to
the south by Dr. Flint. In order for freedom to be achieved by slaves, they are forced to suffer and sacrifice a lott. Everybody has the right to freedom and to control his or her own life. Nobody should have to struggle and sacrifice to gain their rightful freedoms. Your autobiography captures the struggles that it takes in order for an enslaved person to gain their rightful freedoms.Risks have to be made and mental, emotional, and physical pain have to be endured. however it should not be this way. In order to change the system we must defeat the cruel and inhumane slavery system.
Sincerely, Jay Patel Letter 4- Family Struggles
Dear Linda, You have had to face many challenges and struggles in order to keep your family together and working as a functional unit. You have help your family together even through the struggles that slavery has put you in. You have kept your family safe and isolated from the slavery that you had to face. From rekindling the relationship between you and your grandmother to freeing your children and siblings. Even when faste with the struggles of slavery, you still managed to keep your family together and functioning a unit. Even when faced with the struggles of slavery you managed to keep your family together. Throughout your autobiography, you have talked about and discussed the many ups and downs you have had with your family. For example, you talked about having to rebuild and get re-accepted by your grandmother after getting pregnant to escape Dr. Flint, showing how even in the face of slavery, you manage to keep your family together. Also, you stated in your autobiography that you wanted your children to not have to face the suffering, caused by slavery, that you had to pay. This further shows how much you care for your family. on top of this you also struggled to get your family freedom from the cruel slavery institution. From your autobiography, the reader can tell how endlessly you care for your family. you have gone to great lengths to keep your family together and isolated from the cruelties of slavery that you had to experience and endure. You have struggled to get your family formally out of the slave system end into freedom. However in the end, you came out on top and your
family is now free from slavery. From your autobiography, you have taught the reader the values of family and how families support each other tough times. Sincerely, Jay Patel
Letter 5: Disappointments of the North Dear Linda, In your autobiography, you have described how you feel that the North it's not as good as free for former slaves as it is perceived to be, although it is still better than the South. You have talked about how former escaped slaves still live in fear about being captured and sent back to the chains of slavery. On top of this, you have talked about how the North is still racist and discriminatory, even though it is fighting for the illegalization of slavery. You also state how people would take advantage of former slaves by manipulating their fears and using threats. Throughout your autobiography you have exemplified at the North was not actually as free as it was perceived to be, although it was still better than the South. For example, throughout your autobiography, When you we accounted your experiences in the North during the Civil War, you talked about how you would live in fear of being recaptured by Dr. Flint and how you outsmarted him by tricking him into going to other cites such as Philadelphia through the use of a series of letters. Also, you talked about how, even though slavery was abolished in the North, it was still very racist and discriminatory. African Americans would not have the same opportunities as their Caucasian counterparts. On top of this, you discussed how people would take advantage of your life as a former slave. For example, you once had to work a job in the North without any commission. Often times, people would manipulate the thoughts, feelings, and fears of former slaves. When all of this is put together, the reader that the North, all
the Freer than the South, is not truly free for former slaves, unlike a place such as Britain where who stated that true freedom exists. We have to be racism and discrimination in order to truly create a free North, and eventually a free United Union of the 50 states. Everybody should have an equal opportunity, no matter the shade of skin or gender, in order to truly create and adhere to freedom. However, doing this will not de easy since the deeply ingrained cultural ideologies will need to be changed and corrected. However, if we do eventually overcome racism and discrimination, Freedom will be prevalence and captive in the hearts, soul, and blood of every resident of the United States of America. Sincerely, Jay Patel