Honor And Slavery
Critical Essay
Honor and Slavery
Perhaps one of the strongest elements of slavery is honor. Honor has had a wide range of impact in history, whether it was shaping major dynasties and hierarchies, deciding an individuals’ role in society, or family ties and marriages. This sense of worth, high esteem, or virtue was also manipulated by slave masters in order to control their slaves. “The slave could have no honor because of the origin of his status, the indignity and all-pervasiveness of his indebtedness, his absence of any independent social existence, but most of all because he was without power except through another” (p 6). This element is not just a physical force, such as coercive power, which one can heal and even escape, but also a social-psychological issue. A slave had no name or public worth. Any worth was lived out and given through the master. The relationship between the slave and master can be complex but there was always “the strong sense of honor the experience of mastership generated, and conversely, the dishonoring of the slave condition” (p 6). Although Patterson made a clear connection between the slave and master with honor, his concept still contains gaps as certain slaves managed to preserve their honor using the power of voice. When we take a closer look at Patterson’s element of honor, we find that there are several aspects that are not completely sound. In order for a person to submit themselves, even to the extent of a slave, one must esteem the other greater, or simply having more honor. “Slaves were always persons who had been dishonored in a generalized way. To value a man at a high rate, is to honor him; at a low rate, is to dishonor him” (p 6). This presents the first aspect of honor that proves to be too narrow in definition; that slaves have no honor. He also assumes that slaves have no independent existence and have no worth in society. Any worth they have is only lived through the master. A slave only
Honor and Slavery
Perhaps one of the strongest elements of slavery is honor. Honor has had a wide range of impact in history, whether it was shaping major dynasties and hierarchies, deciding an individuals’ role in society, or family ties and marriages. This sense of worth, high esteem, or virtue was also manipulated by slave masters in order to control their slaves. “The slave could have no honor because of the origin of his status, the indignity and all-pervasiveness of his indebtedness, his absence of any independent social existence, but most of all because he was without power except through another” (p 6). This element is not just a physical force, such as coercive power, which one can heal and even escape, but also a social-psychological issue. A slave had no name or public worth. Any worth was lived out and given through the master. The relationship between the slave and master can be complex but there was always “the strong sense of honor the experience of mastership generated, and conversely, the dishonoring of the slave condition” (p 6). Although Patterson made a clear connection between the slave and master with honor, his concept still contains gaps as certain slaves managed to preserve their honor using the power of voice. When we take a closer look at Patterson’s element of honor, we find that there are several aspects that are not completely sound. In order for a person to submit themselves, even to the extent of a slave, one must esteem the other greater, or simply having more honor. “Slaves were always persons who had been dishonored in a generalized way. To value a man at a high rate, is to honor him; at a low rate, is to dishonor him” (p 6). This presents the first aspect of honor that proves to be too narrow in definition; that slaves have no honor. He also assumes that slaves have no independent existence and have no worth in society. Any worth they have is only lived through the master. A slave only