Religion and Separation of Family in Eliza Suggs’s Shadow and Sunshine

1424 Words3 Pages

Eliza Suggs’s slave narrative titled Shadow and Sunshine tells the story of her parents’ experiences with slavery. It also details the life of Eliza Suggs living as child just one generation removed from slavery. Shadow and Sunshine was copyrighted in 1906. The narrative opens with an introduction written by Burton R. Jones that informs the reader of Suggs’s character. He emphasizes Eliza Suggs’s strong beliefs in Christian doctrine, resilient nature, and positive outlook. Burton urges the audience to read the narrative by asserting that “good will be accomplished” if people read her narrative. The narrative then continues with a section of Personal Reminiscences and Testimony by C. M. Damon who also vouches for Suggs’s devout Christian faith and outstanding work ethic. He also encourages the reader to finish the novel by guaranteeing the narrative will be intriguing. Following the introductions, details about Eliza Suggs’s memories of slavery are expressed. It begins with telling the story of his birth and being auctioned off away from his twin brother when he was just three years old. Then Eliza Suggs continues telling her father’s story by discussing his time serving in the Union army and becoming a preacher. After describing her father’s experiences, Suggs describes her mother’s birth. She tells of the anxieties her mother felt when she was separated from her husband during the Civil War. Suggs also discusses her mother’s educational background and the treatment she endured as a slave. In the final section of her narrative, Eliza Suggs delineates the circumstance of her birth and struggles suffering with the rickets throughout her childhood. She also describes the portion of her life when her condition improves an... ... middle of paper ... ... and Social Care." Chap. III, In Slavery in Mississippi. 2nd ed., 45. Gloucester, Massachusetts: University of Mississippi. This book provides a description of slavery in Mississippi. It describes the work slaves were assigned and the extent to which they were cared for. It also explains the buying and hiring of slaves as well as common punishment practices. Slavery in Mississippi also discusses social customs of slaves. Von Daacke, Kirt. 2014. HIUS 3262 Lecture. Vol. Lecture on Slave Narratives. University of Virginia:. This lecture provided an overview of development of slave narratives as a genre unique to the United States. It divided slave narratives as a genre into several distinct time periods that were characterized by different literary characteristics. The three temporal divisions of the genre include 1760-1810, the 1840’s, and the 1850’s and beyond.

Open Document