Harriet Wilson Analysis

The performance “Sketches in the Life of Harriet E. Wilson and Dance, Poetry and Music” is descriptive, intriguing, and informative. Harriet Wilson’s life as seen through the video, illustrates a narration of her life. The video starts with a narration saying “I had to coax my heart open to see what my bones already know” emphasizing that Harriet’s life was not pleasant in which she had to persuade herself to see what her physical body observes. The video starts with an older woman with a little girl dancing. The little girl was dancing with her mom who then abandon her like Alfrado in Harriet Wilson’s “Our Nig”. This shows that Harriet’s mom deserted her at a young age where she had to cope and be independent. It is difficult to hear and observe the little girl dancing because she is left to grow up without anyone to support and raise her.
She knows she is a good person but she is treated with hate and disrespect by her mistress. In the performance, it states how the mistress will not treat the child well which relates to Alfrado. Mrs. Bellmont was cruel and a danger to Alfrado. She will whip and beat Alfrado for no reason. The performance also speaks on how the child wanted to be treated well but instead was treated like a rotten seed. This illustrate that she was worthless to the world which relates to Alfrado. Furthermore, writing was Harriett’s way to freedom as the narrator tells in the video, “record the heavy dreams that woke you each morning, press down, the paper can bear the