The definition of courageous is someone who is not deterred by danger or pain. While reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, there are many characters that would be considered courageous, but one character fits the definition the best. This character did many uncharacteristic things that she would normally not expect herself to do. She put herself in danger just so she could protect their child. Eliza Harris is the most courageous character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin because of her decision to run away, crossing the Ohio River, avoiding several slave catchers, and changing her appearance. Eliza Harris had everything a slave could ever hope for. She had a wonderful life at the Shelby’s household. Eliza was never beaten, nor severely punished. The Shelby’s …show more content…
The river was frozen and she had to leap across as the ice continued to break. She could have easily died, but chose to take the risk while carrying her son. Eliza’s feet were cut and left a blood trail after every step, but the pain was dulled when she made it to safety. After a couple days, Eliza ends up meeting back up with her husband, George, and they planned their escape to Canada. Phineas Fletcher offers to take them to their next destination. When a slave catcher, Tom Loker, and his company caught up to them, Eliza and her husband had to respond quickly to their fear. One of the slave catchers fired their gun at the two. George sprang backward, Eliza uttered a shriek, and the ball had passed close to his hair, had nearly grazed the cheek of his wife, and struck in the tree above (Stowe 1852, 216). Eliza was almost hit by the bullet. In this life or death situation she luckily came out alive. Tom Loker ends up getting shot, but she is not deterred by the possibility of danger with him. Instead of leaving him to die, she decides that he needs to live and they end up at a farmhouse an hour …show more content…
She knew that Marks, one of the slave catchers, was waiting on the boat ready to spot Eliza and her company. Eliza also had to give her child to Mrs. Smyth for awhile to prevent the obvious sight of a mother and child. This is one of the few moments when Eliza is not with her child, but she knew she needed to take the risk. Dressed in men’s clothes, Eliza, along with everyone else, safely got on the boat without any recognition. As the boat drifted away from the slave catcher, Eliza and her family were finally safe and
Courage is when you know you’re beaten. The character Atticus, for instance, who was a seasoned lawyer acted courageous defending Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was a black man who was accused of raping a white girl. Atticus was appointed to defend him. Jem was happy because he thought his father had won the case but Reverend Sykes loathed telling Jem “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”(Lee 208). Atticus was sure he wasn’t going to win the case, nevertheless he gave it a try. That didn’t stop Atticus from trying to defend his client Tom Robinson. Another part in the novel when Atticus was courageous was when he shot at the man street dog. Heck Tate the Maycomb Sheriff was not as courageous as Atticus so he handed Atticus the air rifles and with one shot Atticus took down the street dog. Miss Maudie says “I saw that, One Shot Finch” (Lee 97). Atticus was referred to as one-shot finch because of his shooting skills. The other incidence in the novel when Atticus portrays courage was when he was not scared when Bob Ewell threatened him. Bob Ewell was the man who accused Atticus’ defendant Tom Robinson of raping his daughter Mayella. Atticus thought Bob Ewell threatened him as some sort of revenge, but unfortunately Atticus was wrong because when Bob Ewell said ...
Eliza's assaults against True Womanhood are violations of the virtues submissiveness and purity. When Eliza refuses to ignore the gallantry of Major Sanford in favor of the proposals of Reverend Boyer despite the warnings of her friends and mother, she disregards submissiveness in favor of her own fanc...
Harriet was born into slavery. Although, it was not until she was the age of six that she actually realized she was a slave girl. Her life was filled with love from those who surrounded her. They were her mother who she was very fond of, her younger brother whom she considered a bright child, and her grandmother who was like a treasure to her. Harriet's father was living and worked out of state to support his family. After some years her mother passed away and left Harriet and her brother, William, to the care of her mistress. Harriet loved her new mistress and treated her as though she were her own mother. When Harriet was twelve, her mistress passed. In the will her mistress left her to her sister's daughter at the young age of five. Mr. Flint became her new master'. Mr. Flint was fond of Harriet because she was different from the other slaves. She carried herself with respect and was in fact a hard worker. Mr.
In her book, Jubilee, Margaret Walker tells the story of slavery from American history, based on real narrative from her family. Walker’s real great-grandmother, Vyry, was born to Hetta as her youngest child with Masters John Morris Dutton. Vyry was two years old, when Hetta died. Mammy Sukey took care of Vyry until the day she left to the Big House. Seven year old Vyry began her duty in Masters House; however, Big Missy Salina, John’s wife hated her and bullied her for she knew her husband cheated on her with Hetta. Master John found out how Salina mistreated Vyry; thus, he changed Vyry’s duties to work in the kitchen under the command of Aunt Sally. During the time spend with Sally, Vyry learned a lot about cooking, food preserving and herbs using, which enormously helped her later in her life. Because of her cooking skills, which she gained during work with Sally, Vyry became the main cook after Sally was sold away and stayed in the Big House kitchen till the day of emancipation. Throughout the years of her service, Vyry met a free black man Randal Ware, who imposed her the idea of freedom, saying he can buy it for her. Neither Master John nor his wife want to set Vyry free, thus she stayed in slavery with her two children. Ware had a plan of escape for her, but Vyry didn’t want to leave without children, got caught, and punished. The years of Civil War came, Ware was gone, and Masters family started dying out. Finally, only Miss Lillian, who was losing her mind after head injury, stayed alive, when the war ended and emancipation was brought. Vyry, alone with her children and a new man she met – Innis Brown, had to leave the Big House and start a new life. There were many obstacles they had to overcome. Although being free, it...
In her story Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs presents what life was like living as a female slave during the 19th century. Born into slavery, she exhibits, to people living in the North who thought slaves were treated fairly and well, how living as a slave, especially as a female slave during that time, was a heinous and horrible experience. Perhaps even harder than it was if one had been a male slave, as female slaves had to deal with issues, such as unwanted sexual attention, sexual victimization and for some the suffering of being separated from their children. Harriet Jacobs shows that despite all of the hardship that she struggled with, having a cause to fight for, that is trying to get your children a better life
...e (Ashley’s wife) dying and a promise to take care of their son, Scarlett realizes her true love to Rhett though it is to late as Rhett walks away from the marriage. She will return back to Tara plantation to find a way to win him back.
Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl. 2nd Edition. Edited by Pine T. Joslyn. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, INC., 2001.
In Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs recalls her experiences of being a slave through the eyes of Linda Brent. Linda held no knowledge of being a piece of property through her childhood. When she turned six, her childhood vanished. Although she was still a child, she had to mature at a much accelerated rate than children who were not slaves, or of color. Throughout Linda’s life of a slave girl, she depended on substantial family tethers as a source of perseverance, support, and aspirations for a superior life. In a few ways, these tethers can be perceived as a blessing in disguise. Even though Linda’s support system served as an extensive force ultimately leading her to
"Eliza, John and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room... Me, she had dispensed from joining the group" (chapter)
Eliza’s blatant disregard for the concern of those around her contributed heavily to her demise. Had she listened to her friends and family when they told her to marry Mr...
In conclusion, women were considered property and slave holders treated them as they pleased. We come to understand that there was no law that gave protection to female slaves. Harriet Jacob’s narrative shows the true face of how slaveholders treated young female slave. The female slaves were sexually exploited which damaged them physically and psychologically. Furthermore it details how the slave holder violated the most sacred commandment of nature by corrupting the self respect and virtue of the female slave. Harriet Jacob writes this narrative not to ask for pity or to be sympathized but rather to show the white people to be aware of how female slaves constantly faced sexual exploitation which damaged their body and soul.
“Eliza, John and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing room: she lay reclined on the sofa by the fireplace and her darlings about her…”
Despite an attractive interpretation that Eliza Wharton deserves her tragic fate because she is too scandalous of a seductress, her fall is actually a result of her desire for autonomy in a society that denies women that right. Also, to view Sanford as a heartless villain would be reductionary. He too, like Eliza, is subject to the judgements, constraints, and values of a flawed society in which he is separated from his true love. Both characters fall as a result of their desire for relational freedoms that early American society denies them.
The dictionary definition of courage is bravery or boldness. In the set texts of Little Women and Treasure Island, courage is defined through the interaction of the characters, the situation and their reactions to it. Thus, there are different aspects of courage explored throughout the texts resulting in either in physical or psychological pain or a mixture to the characters.
I don’t matter, I suppose’” (Berst 99). Eliza’s actions can be felt as a Cinderella impulse coming from her (Berst 99). Eliza worked hard to get through the lessons with Higgins and had won that bet, so she deserves the credit for the hard work she put in. It seems that Eliza at this point is lonely and probably wanted someone in her life to tell her she was doing the right thing, she has accomplished things she wanted to do for herself.