Post #2 – Nathaniel Hawthorn – The Birth-Mark

 While reading The Birth-Mark, a story story by Nathaniel Hawthorn, I did not pick up any sort of feminist tone in the writing at first glance. I thought perhaps Hawthorn in a way “highlighted” male misogynistic fantasies by having the husband Alymer reduce his “nearly perfect, young wife” Georgiana to a defect, reflected by a hand shaped birthmark on the center of her cheek. However, this had never been an issue in Georgiana’s life because she and others believed the birthmark to be a mark of luck or charm. It was her own husband who used the nickname “bloody hand”, something that deeply hurt and offended Georgiana. The tone of the male writer and male character seemingly became one while reading this story, which made me initially have to disagree with the suggestion made by Nina Baym, that Hawthorn is a feminist author, simply because of the historically degrading ways Hawthorn used to describe the sole female character. Georgiana was objectified and belittled to a single flaw, and eventually was unknowingly manipulated through various mad science experiments performed by her husband, which is something I thought only a mad person could imagine writing. Nevertheless,  when getting to the end of the story, I realised it was not a story of an abusive marriage, but indeed ended up being a lesson to be learned from Alymer’s dangerous lust. The scientist so badly wanted perfection in his own work, that he could not dare to see imperfection in the face of the “love of his life”. He went so far as to manipulate his wife through fragrance potions, into having her beg him to have the birthmark removed. This along with a dream where Alymer sleep talked through a procedure of removing Georgiana’s heart, is enough to fully convince Georgiana to get the mark removed. This dream woefully ends up becoming reality, when Alymers “final plan” to remove the birthmark is successful, for a moment, until his now perfect wife passes away with the birthmark. Therefore, I believe this work could support the argument that Hawthorn is a feminist, as stated by Baym, because the moral of the story is to appreciate what you have while you have it, and in this case it is a women. However, it could also just be a fable written by Hawthorn, with no emotion or “feminist ideas” to it whatsoever. 

Post #3 – Fredrick Douglas – Chapter X

Fredrick Douglass’s horrifying experiences as a slave under numerous and various types of slaveholders, comparatively shows a tremendous amount of ruthlessness displayed by the plantation owners and city slaveholders, but his personal encounters from Christian plantation display even more violence and manipulation than from any other holder. A quote from the chapter reflects this accurately when he states, “I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes,–a justifier of the most appalling barbarity,–a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds,–and a dark shelter under which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find the strongest protection”, accurately describes how religion was used to create a false sense of “morality” on Plantations. Douglass’s use of Narrative storytelling builds a clear polarity between real and fake Christians, calling the use of false Christianity a “symptom of the negative effects of slaveholding”. Although the slaveholders do obviously vile things to innocent women and men, treating people worse than animals; They believe going to church every Sunday and preaching to the “Lord and Savior” will balance their moral well being. Ironically, this actually goes completely against what the message behind Christianity and God are meant to be, so Douglas goes on to build a counter-narrative of slaveholders by making a comparison to Satan, the symbol of anti-God. One specific example holder Douglas uses to make this comparison, is slaveholder Covey, a strict religious Plantation holder, who uses religion as a means to justify himself doing such horrible things. Covey also uses Christinity as a sort of mind game by giving the slaves a “rest day” on Sunday, parallel to biblical scripture. This sort of manipulation deceives Douglass initially, into thinking Covey may not be the worst, saying “he feeds us enough food,” but ultimately sees through the front of “holy and good”  and gives him the nickname “the snake.” Not only does this nickname represent Coveys lurking behavior, as he sits and watches the slaves working from a hidden position, but also draws a parallel between Satan and Christinity, a clear symbol of the Antichrist from Garden of Eden. Now at this point in the chapter, it’s easy to lose hope for Douglass, seeing as he goes through countless horrific slave masters. But it is those life changing experiences from Coveys twisted religion that inspire Douglass to learn how to read, and run away. There is some sort of lesson to be learned from this because, even with all the difficulties in your life, no matter how big or small, the only person you can really rely on is yourself, and you must look within in order to not lose hope.

Post #4 – The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a powerful movement in the US, which allowed black artists to blossom with arts, writing, and music. One well known writer, and social activist, during the Renaissance, was Langston Huges, who advocated for black people to embrace their rich culture through the arts. He begins his well encomapassing work “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” with an analysis of Countee Cullens poem, where Cullens states his desire to be known for “his merit, not as a negro-poet. This comes as a shock to both Huges, and myself, because why would anyone be ashamed of their heritage and where they came from? It could be because of the historically “whitewashed” culture embedded into the roots of America, well described in another one of Huges poems, “The Weary Blues”. He writes about the pain and struggles of becoming a successful black artist in America, singing the sad blues, and feeling the blues, all while performing anyway to make a living for himself. This also captures the idea of the “American Dream” in a sense, because you essentially have to struggle to survive if you are not born white. While I understand both points of view, to either embrace the black culture, or to suppress it, I agree strongly with Huges belief to take pride in oneself. The idea of becoming a “successful black artist” is no less than saying a regular “successful artist” because it further proves your talent, not only for your work, but because it highlights the obstacles you have to overcome and how that only makes you stronger. Cullens message in “Yet do I marvel” questions the creation of God, and why God would do something “unable to comprehend” such as create suffering, or make a human black (in such a racially divided time). I took this poem as an argument FOR Huges morals, because although Gods work can sometimes be questionable in the moment, it is not to be rejected or changed, but embraced for the greater good, because everything is intentional. Having a different skin color, religion, or language is only a tool that strengthens who you are through overcoming adversity.