LITR 5731: Seminar in American Minority Literature
University of Houston-Clear Lake, Fall 2001
Sample Student Midterm

Linda M. Harvey
LITR 5731 Midterm
Dr. Craig White
October 2, 2001

Voices to Freedom

            According to The Declaration of Independence, "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…" While these rights claim to apply to "all men," history and literature reveal another side of the story. This other side not only shows how African American people were treated unequally, but how they were rendered totally voiceless and choiceless. We will examine the theme of voiceless and choiceless through three examples of literature: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs (alias Linda Brent), Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and Push by Sapphire.

            Harriet Jacobs gives her readers a glimpse into her life with her own personal narrative in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The book provides a detailed account of her life’s sorrows, determinations, and triumphs. Further, Jacob’s story vividly describes how slaves in her time had no voice and certainly no choice in anything. One account in particular of a visiting clergyman from the North depicts how far from reality the truth is stretched by proponents for slavery. The clergyman is led to believe that the slavery is, "a beautiful patriarchal institution" (Jacobs 403). This clergyman believes the absurd notion that the slaves are happy to be bound to servitude and they do not want their freedom. Jacob’s own words give the shocking, yet eye-opening reality:

What does he know of the half-starved wretches toiling from dawn till dark on the plantations? of mothers shrieking for their children, torn from their arms by slave traders? of young girls dragged down into moral filth? of pools of blood around the whipping post? of hounds trained to tear human flesh? of men screwed into cotton gins to die? The slaveholder showed him none of these things, and the slaves dared not to tell of them if he had asked them. (403)

Needless to say, the truth to the matter is that slaves had no voices to reveal the actual crimes against humanity. They knew that to speak out would further surrender them helpless to the consequences decided upon by the masters; consequences of which they had no choice.

            While the previous example shows how cruelly one person can treat another, and the physical torture endured by many slaves, Harriet Jacobs managed to escape much of the physical abuse. However the absence of beatings did come with a price. Jacobs was robbed of her childhood innocence when she was a young girl with the numerous indecent proposals from her master, Dr. Flint. Jacobs did not choose to become a woman quickly; Dr. Flint chose for her. Jacobs, desperate to avoid Dr. Flint, "chose" to give up her childhood to another white man, Mr. Sands. As a result, Jacobs has two children by this man. Despite their free, white, father, these children are born into a world where they too will be voiceless and choiceless. Realizing this, if Jacobs were able to choose, she would actually choose death for her children. She sincerely felt that death was the better alternative than a lifetime of slavery for her daughter and son. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as some may view it) the choice of death was not one for Jacobs to make. The powers that be may have come close to taking Jacob’s children, but in the end they chose life.

            Ironically, Harriet Jacobs ends up turning her voiceless and choiceless fate into her and her children’s ticket to freedom. Jacobs, literally forced voiceless and choiceless when she spends seven years in hiding, begins her quest for her and her children’s freedom. In a little room above her grandmother’s house, Jacobs expresses her silent but present voice in letters meant to distract her master and secure freedom. The resulting chain of events eventually leads to Jacob’s freedom and freedom for her children; the actualization of her life’s dream.

            The theme of voiceless and choiceless continues with the story of Macon "Milkman" Dead in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. Milkman’s existence itself stems from a choiceless action inflicted onto his father by his mother. With help from her sister-in-law, Pilate, Ruth Dead sets in motion a plan that causes her to become pregnant with her third child. This plan gets her husband to come to her bed; a place he’s refused for years. Just as Milkman did not choose to be conceived, he did not choose to have his life ended before his birth. Macon did not want Ruth to have the third child and he turned the choiceless tables onto his wife. Macon forced his wife to get rid of the baby she worked so hard do conceive. Without a say in the matter, Ruth scalded her skin squatting over boiling water, ingested castor oil, poked herself with knitting needles, and endured beatings from Macon.

            In spite of his parent’s actions, Milkman came into the world to spend most of his life having others make decisions for him. One of his earliest memories of time spent with his mother lends its story to how Macon Jr. got his nickname; a nickname to which he had no say. Each day the young Macon went to a room with his mother so she could nurse him. It didn’t matter to Ruth that her son was too old, "he was old enough to be bored by the flat taste of mother’s milk, so he came reluctantly" (Morrison 13). However, young Macon was too young to realize in his reluctance he did have a choice, a choice taken away by his mother’s ritual. Milkman’s devotion to his mother continued until the day Freddie the janitor saw them. The resulting humiliation of being caught that one day forever haunts Milkman as he is known by that name from that day forward.

            Milkman continues his life not having choices since his father is grooming Milkman to run the family business. The business of owning and maintaining properties may seem like a dream fulfilled, but the older Macon Dead actually becomes "owned" by his properties. Nevertheless, Milkman has a certain respect for his father that forces him to follow his father’s wishes. Although Milkman commits little acts of rebellion like, drinking, smoking, and hanging out with Pilate and her family, Milkman continues to pursue the path his father wants him to take. In spending time with Pilate and her granddaughter, Hagar, Milkman loses another choice as he is seduced by his cousin five years his senior. The ensuing relationship makes Milkman a slave to the natural desires of an adolescent as well as to another member of his family. Thinking that breaking off the relationship with his cousin will free him, Milkman faces another choiceless reality when Hagar tries to kill him. Yet again, Milkman is choiceless because Hagar chooses the day she wants Macon dead.

            Like Harriet Jacobs, Milkman eventually gains a voice to free himself from his voiceless, choiceless world. Going against the wishes of his family and the older Macon Dead, Milkman seeks his heritage. Through his travels, though initially instigated by a pursuit of gold – a decision forced upon him by his father, Milkman slowly gains his voice and begins making choices. He learns the truth about his family’s name and the fate of his grandfather. He learns the origin of the name Dead. He learns the truth about his name, Dead. This journey is not without others still trying to choose for him as Milkman’s once best friend, Guitar, tries to kill him. In the end though, Milkman makes the ultimate leap to freedom as he surrenders to the air. The freedom to choose sets Milkman free.

            Of all the characters in these referenced works, Sapphire’s choiceless and voiceless Precious suffers most severely. In the course of the novel, Push, readers learn about the constant physical, mental, and sexual abuse exacted upon Precious by her mother and father. While Precious was still drinking from a baby’s bottle, her own father began sexually abusing her. From the very beginning, Precious had no voice to refuse her father and no choice to make it stop. If that weren’t enough, Precious’ mother abused her both physically and sexually. Precious’ only option became to comply with the repulsive actions of her parents to escape further abuse. Precious did not choose to become pregnant by her father, she did not choose for the baby to be mentally retarded, and she could not choose to keep and care for the baby.

            The fallout from having life’s choices taken away continues as Precious is forced out of a public school she tolerates due to a second pregnancy by her father. Needless to say, more choices not made by Precious. It is not until Precious learns from an unlikely ally, Mrs. Lichenstein, that she, Precious, can take the steps to take control of her life. Along with the help of Ms. Rain, the alternative school teacher, Precious learns that she, Precious, can have a voice and a choice. The once illiterate Precious uses her ability to write to open her voice. This makes Precious a stronger woman; a woman capable of overcoming adversity. Through the journal writing, Precious gains control and she takes the power to make a choice. Precious’ own words speak volumes of how she takes the control away from her mother and places it where it belongs, with Precious: "Ms Rain say journal completely confidential. Share if you want. If you don’t want to, don’t. I don’t want to" (Sapphire 136).

            With the same twist of irony used by Harriet Jacobs and Milkman, Precious takes an object that renders her voiceless and choiceless and uses it to make herself free. Precious’ permanent file permits those who do not know Precious to judge her. She is voiceless as she cannot defend herself. She is choiceless as she cannot control who obtains access to the file. Strangers learn of her weaknesses, her inability to read, her problems, and even her adolescent pregnancies. However, no one chooses to take the time to act in Precious’ best interest. The file follows Precious and keeps her in a subdued, voiceless, choiceless state.

Precious’ file suppresses her in the beginning, yet it is the catalyst that sets her free in the end. Precious steals her file and with her newfound literacy, she decodes the findings in the file. This simple act of reading and learning that her best interests are best achieved by her own decisions transforms Precious into one who will always have a voice. Never again will Precious be subject to choices other than her own. Like Harriet Jacobs and Milkman Dead, Precious Jones becomes free.

While the literature by Harriet Jacobs, Toni Morrison, and Sapphire present characters who begin their journeys without voices, readers soon appreciate how each learns to discover their voice. Jacobs literally becomes voiceless to eventually obtain her choices. She and her children become free slaves to live out their natural existence under their own command and not that of a master. Milkman asserts his choice to "fly" and take his life into his own hands. He chooses to never again let anyone decide anything for him. Precious writes herself a voice and reads to gain a choice. Her strength and determination allow her to break away from all that kept her down.

Though the stories are different, toggle between history and fiction, and span across the decades, one theme unifies the characters in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Song of Solomon, and Push. Each character has a suppressed need to exercise their voices and choices. Despite the fact that they may not quite have the equality as described by The Declaration of Independence, each character begins their path to, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…" They proceed on their journey with voices and choices.