1. Why do you think Frances took after her father and had no feelings that the slaves were people like Sarah did?
2. Why do you think the master was able to get custody of the two girls?
3. Do you think master and Frances are wrong for their thoughts, or is it not their fault because that's the way they were raised?
4. What do you think will happen to Emma?
3 comments:
I think Frances took after her father because she wanted to please him and not act like her mother. Frances knew that her parents divorced over the issue of slavery and she didn't want to remind her father about her mother. I think she also enjoyed the extra attention she got from her father even though she was younger than Sarah.
I think Pierce Butler got custody of his daughters, because he probably accused his wife of being a negative influence in his daughter's lives. Fanny Kemble was a very independent woman for her time. She had acted on stages across the globe, she was educated, her works had been published, and she was not scared to state her opinions. All of these aspects go against the role of a southern plantation house wife and the the southern courts most likely sided with Pierce Butler's argument.
I think Frances took on her father's views of slavery, because she wanted to please him and was promised to inherit the plantation. I think Pierce Butler inherited his views from his family, who were wealthy plantation owners. But I do also think Pierce Butler's wife could have had a bigger influence on his ideals if he wasn't a gambler and so greedy.
Unfortunately I have a feeling that Emma will probably be sold. I think there is already a lot of foreshadowing telling the reader it is going to happen. I also think Emma will be sold because in the Interlude before chapter 5, the master states that Sarah is married and she named her daughter Emma. I think Sarah named her daughter in honor of her friend.
I definitely think that Frances liked the attention. She even said at one point that she needed Emma, too; however, she desired her father's attention so much as the younger child that she was willing to do anything for it. I think that, Stephanie, you're right that it stems from the fact that Frances is younger, so she may feel that she has to try extra hard. Also, I think she sees the way her father treats her sister and doesn't want to be looked at as a baby.
I also believe that Pierce got the girls for the same reason. I also think that the mere fact that Pierce is the man. He owns the plantation, so he should get the daughters. I'm sure the fact that Fanny was the way she was had an impact, but I wonder if it would make a difference even if she did support slavery.
Honestly, I think that slavery goes against all human nature. I can't imagine treating someone as if they are inferior to me. However, I also think that it is all they have been exposed to. They were born and raised on that plantation with slaves. They don't know any different. I know that Fanny was progressive and against slavery, but to Pierce, she was just challenging his normalcy. I think that their thoughts are wrong only because I actually know better.
I think that Emma will be traded, as well. I think that the slave trader will get the best of Pierce with such large money offers, and Pierce will be so obsessed with making money that he will forget that Emma is like family and sell her.
Frances' Dad told her that she was like him and that Sarah was like their Mom. I believe that planting this thought in her head made her think from the start that she was already like her Father. Therefore, she thought she had to believe everything he did. Their Mom would always go and talk to the slaves, even though their Dad did not want her to. Frances also knows that slavery is something her parents always argued over.
Fanny was an actress and had traveled around a lot before she married Pierce. She technically does not have the same roots and values as Pierce because she was not raised in this country and was not raised with slavery because it was not in England. I agree with you Stephanie, in that Pierce probably convinced someone that Fanny was a negative influence on the girls' lives.
Pierce definitely learned it from his family, it's how he was raised. Frances' Dad kept telling her she was like him, so I think she took his perspectives and adopted them as her own. So I guess in a way, both Pierce and Frances were brought up with these ideals of slavery.
I agree with you Stephanie and Nikki that Emma will be traded and sold to another plantation.
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