Mary prince: slavery through her eyes
...ave, she was fortunate enough to grow up in a household where slaves were not beaten or treated maliciously. Mary’s luck did not last forever as she noted as she was sold for the first time, “Though I was then far from being sensible of the full weight of my misfortune, or of the misery that waited for me.” (p. 9) Mary experienced first hand the hardships and abuse of slavery that very first night in her new master’s home as she was lying almost asleep: “I heard the cracking of the thong, and the house rang to the shrieks of poor Hetty.” (p. 14) This was Mary’s first exposure to the cruelty and also a preview of the beatings that she would also endure by several different masters. “Mr. D has often stripped me naked, hung me up by the wrists, and beat me with the cow skin, with his own hand, till my body was raw with gashes.” (p. 20) It is through Mary’s words that she wishes “the truth ought to be told of it; and what my eyes have seen I think it is my duty to relate.” (p. 21) Mary’s narrative is said to be in her own words with very little editing. The only editing done was that needed in order to make the story readable for the general public. In the text that follows the narrative, the editor goes on to explain that Mr. Wood accuses Mary of being a liar and that her accusations of her abuse are entirely false. Mr. Wood then continues on by spotting her character and using several powerful people as his witnesses. The only thing that doesn’t add up is that Mary has nothing to gain by telling her story of her enslaved life. While Mr. Wood would be the more credible person, it is hard to believe that Mary Prince would make up her story knowing that she had nothing to gain by expressing her pain through words. For this reason it is believed that Mary’s narrative is almost purely true and complete in her own words. Mary Prince’s tales of slavery help preserve a part of American history that is vital in understanding the growth and development of our nation and the roots from which we rose from less than two hundred years ago. It can be argued that slavery helped our nation prosper through the growing years, but...