Analysis of Biography of a Runaway Slave by M. Barnet - Assignment Example

 Biography of a Runaway Slave: A Literature Review Biography of a Runaway Slave belongs to a genre known as testimonial literature because it features the life of a runaway slave named Esteban Montejo. Unlike other literature featuring black slavery in the Americas, this book is often described as the first personal account of an escaped slave in Cuba. It details the life endured by the slaves and describes the inhumane treatment they receive from their “masters”. Aside from these, Montejo also provided black slaves with the voice – he expressed the disdain they felt for the system as well as the opinions these slaves had of their masters. He also explained why so many of them do not seek for escape. Interviewed at age 103, Montejo knew that he was probably the only one in Cuba who could provide future generations an insight into the untold life of a runaway slave. He knew that his memoirs are important enough to be published. Because of these, the resulting narrative covered aspects which are of particular interest to himself and Miguel Barnet. 1a. Identify and discuss two memories of Esteban Montejo in the “First Memories” subsection and tell why these memories were so important to him. In the first subsection entitled First Memories, describes his memories as a child, of being in Africa and the things his people enjoyed. His memories were poignant of a free life, where African children can play about in the sugar plantations without worrying of being whipped and punished by their masters. He described the African culture, of religious practices unique for his people. He talked about how Africans knew about healing through natural herbs and potions. These memories were important because it enabled Montejo to remember a life outside of Cuba – a time when his people are not exploited laborers, but are rather, workers for their own sugar plantations. His memories of childhood served as his main motivation to seek for freedom, even when he has no idea what this means as an adult. 1b. Identify and discuss two aspects of life in the barracoons as described by Esteban Montejo. The barracoons (barracks or the slave quarters) was a dismal place. Montejo described it as “bare dirt, empty and lonely” (Barnet, 1994, p.24). Unlike the life we know today, it had nothing inside – no beds to sleep in or cabinets to put clothes in. It was dark and lonely and its only purpose was to keep the slaves in. It wasn’t a place for merriment or after-work parties, instead, it was a prison for the hundred or so slaves who must be guarded lest they escape their masters. Offenders were whipped and imprisoned in stacks for months at a time. For Montejo, life in the barracoons was dreadful, to say the least. Yet, despite the staleness and terrible condition of the barracoons, it was the home of the slaves and here, Montejo a different kind of beauty. The slaves played songs using their drums as if calling for the ground to open and take them away from all the pain and torture they were experiencing. Compared to the slaves’ songs, the white man’s music was “tasteless” (Barnet, 1994, p.33). At the barraccoons, Montejo also grew to appreciate the beauty of the African people, as well as their sensuality and sense of compassion not only for themselves but also for the erring white man. 1c. Discuss Esteban Montejo’s need to seek freedom and identify two of the methods used for survival while he was in the woods. Montejo’s remembrance of his childhood served as the main motivation for him to seek freedom. Out in the woods, he could do whatever he wanted. This is reflected in this statement: “I felt good being a cimarron (runaway slave). Because I was my own boss, and I defended myself on my own” (Barnet, 1994, p52). It must be said, however, that Montejo lived in constant fear in the forests. The caves became his home, and to eat, he stole pigs and food from small households. “You live half wild when you’re a cimarron” (Barnet, 1994, p. 52), he says of his life in the woods. To survive, he was careful of the sounds he made and the fires he built. He lived alone in seclusion. Whenever he heard dogs barking, he took off his clothes because he knew that the animals can pick up his scent. Question 2. Describe two of Esteban Montejo’s memories of his life in the sugarmills. Montejo decided to end his seclusion when he heard that the slavery has been abolished and the black slaves were now employed in sugar plantations. As a free man, he was first employed by the Purio and Ariosa sugar mills. Montejo remained cynic of the relationship among the different races: “There were masters, or rather, owners, who believed that blacks were made for locking up and whipping…[the white man] believed that they were the owners of humanity” (Barnet, 1994, p.64). For him, the black people were as much to blame because they “ didn’t realize that things had changed because they kept on saying, ‘Your blessing, Master’”(Barnet, 1994, p.64). For Montejo, life in the sugar mills was no better than in slavery, the only difference was that they were now receiving compensation for their labor. Montejo also criticized the Catholic church and its disrespect for women: “with women they [the priests] were devils. They converted the sacristy into a whorehouse” (Barnet, 1994, p.80), and black women were put in caves or holes in the ground to be killed. Other issues he touched on included lack of education for black children, and the inability of competent black people to enter into higher positions. He also mentioned that though the modernization of the mills is amazing, it was also causing a rapidly deforested countryside. Despite the problems he encountered in the sugarmills, however, Montejo sees this chapter as a rich experience. The strong sense of community and sharing of the compensinos was something unforgettable. To the African, he only has good words (Barnet, 1994, pp. 150-151): I come to the conclusion that the African was wise in all things…They weren’t the least bit like animals. They taught me many things though they didn't know how to read and write. Customs that are more important than information. To be educated, not to meddle in other folks' problems, speak softly, be respectful, be reli- gious, be a hard worker.... All of that the African taught me. Question 3. Based on Esteban Montejo’s testimonial, how do you think he felt about the War of Cuban Independence? Why? The fighting against Spain which lasted three years (1895-1898) instilled terror for Cuban soldiers all over the world. According to Montejo, “The conduct of our troops was a model for others, as anyone will tell you who fought in the war ... we were brave and put the revolution above everything else” (Barnet, 1994, p. 183). For Montejo, the guerilla tactics used by Cuban soldiers to defeat their enemy was commendable, but then again, he expresses scorn for their leaders: “many colonels and other officers shit off-target every day. They did things that not even little children do”(Barnet, 1994, p. 183). Though 95% of the soldiers were black, their sacrifices and good deeds were ignored and no praise (or even thanks) was given to them. American occupation of Cuba in 1898 brought about another chapter of hardship for the African, who had to endure abuse from these white men in the North. US soldiers called Cuban women “nigger”, which for Montejo was another form of discrimination. For Montejo, “the white Cubans were as much to blame as the Americans [for the poverty and social inequalities] because they let themselves be ordered around in their own country”(Barnet, 1994, pp. 193-194). Work Cited Barnet, M. (1994). Biography of a Runaway Slave. Curbstone Press. doi:9781880684184  Read More