Optimism Gets the Job Done

One of the most striking aspects of Booker T. Washington's Up from Slavery autobiography is the credit he gives to his experience as a slave, arguing that those enslaved learned many practical skills from their labors. Given that slavery is widely considered to be one of American history's cruelest episodes, reading an ex-slave's strangely positive depictions is startling, yet these ideas are not unique to Washington's story. In Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, her recollection of the hardships she endured are mixed with similar anecdotes about her positive and beneficial experiences, such as learning to read and write from her mistress. These details reveal the tremendous range of conditions faced by slaves, as well as the optimism necessary to survive slavery and emerge from the experience stronger than before.

In Jacobs' case, the positive details she describes create a sharper contrast with the suffering she is put through. Many times throughout the story, a seemingly joyous moment is soon followed by one of her life's worst experiences, including the exciting promise Mr. Sands makes to free her children turning into sudden betrayal and immense anguish. This contrast highlights the uncertainty of life as a slave -- whether suddenly being sold, being beaten by a slave master without any clear reason, or other such experiences -- and how fragile each sliver of hope can be. She is able to transmit her feelings of helplessness and misery through these emotional ups and downs, providing the reader with a more complete impression of her life as a slave. At the same time, the ability to recognize and take advantage of her good fortune ultimately helped her make a better life for herself in the North. She grew to value education and, when freed from slavery, transformed this aptitude into a set of skills that earned her respect and dignity within the Northern White society.

While similar to Jacobs' story in the element of growth, Washington's autobiography is distinctive in his passive accounts of slavery's worst hardships. He mentions the fact that he barely remembers any of his family members, which is typically a disturbing reality, in an unemotional and detached tone, making the perceived lack of importance quite clear. Likewise, he avoids excessive detail about the beatings, torment, and other abuse slaves received from their masters. His intentions here are to avoid sparking grievances among Blacks, as his message to his fellow ex-slaves is to find meaningful paths to contribute to society rather than cause rebellion. When he does address the harsh truths, he argues that being at a lower position in society should motivate Blacks to self-advocate and uplift themselves. Compared to Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, the message is quite contrary, yet Washington's frequently positive outlook is quite similar.

When discussing a subject as one-sided as slavery, subverting expectations with positive details teaches the reader that there is far more to the story. In both Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Up From Slavery, the authors are able to incorporate their own unique perspectives and convey their messages more strongly through emphasizing what many people get wrong about slavery. In neither case is the overall experience framed as pure joy, as the common goal is to bring change and abolish slavery, however the use of optimism is intentional and noticeable. While Jacobs uses sparse good memories to highlight the extent of her suffering, an effective strategy that fills the reader with the kind of emotions she dealt with, Washington's optimism is that of a determined youth who refuses to let the world crush his spirit. His mindset allowed him to find purpose in his life, and he aspires to encourage fellow Blacks to do so in their lives as well. Both authors use optimism to tell vastly different stories, and this same sentiment brought them success not only in storytelling but in their overall lives post-slavery.