Literary analysis over The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman - Essay Example

English Literature ic and Modern) March 20, Topic: Literary analysis over "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" Introduction The pages of social and economic history of America soaked in blood related to violence and brutal practices of institution of slavery ask the crying question. How to make this land heaven-like? The answer is simple and straightforward. Understanding, love and mutual appreciation of the issues that face each other and the willingness to solve them with peaceful approach—enough, these alone are enough.

For a vast country like America, which is a multi-cultural democratic society, when such a level is sought to be achieved, structural changes in the political system are necessary. The beginning was made with the Proclamation of Abolition of Slavery. The use of “We Free,” in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” illustrates what a historic moment it was in the life of the slaves, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that brings about profound, irreversible changes in their lifestyles.

How this change impacts the plantation owners and slaves? This event deserves to be recorded in golden letters in the social and political history of America. The plantation owners of the South have been expecting this development and remain in readiness to face this social change that is bound to initiate upheavals in lifestyles. Ernest J. Gains describes one such situation of the plantation owner reading out the gist of the Proclamation to his slaves: “All right, I got news for y’all,” the master said, “Y’all are free.

Proclamation papers just come to me and they say y’all free as I am…..Y’all can stay or y’all can go. If y’all stay I promise, I’ll be fair as I always been with y’all.”(10) This statement indicates the nervousness of the owner about the future that awaits his plantation, and he provides the first option of trade union settlement with them with the offer to continue in his employment, now with payment of remuneration and assures them of fairly good treatment. The immediate result of the Proclamation is the change that it has necessitated in the outlook of the landlord class.

The changed outlook sets the ex-slaves, now free citizens of America thinking and has thrown open before them alternate options. The assembly of slaves listens to the master (shall be known as ex-master soon) in rapt attention. The Proclamation has brought the change of their life-time, after centuries of subjugation and suffering undergone by them and their earlier generations. They all greet the proclamation .This is how they hail the change of gigantic proportions the proclamation has brought about by repeating the words “we free” 10 times: “We free, we free, we freeWe free, we free, we free We free, we free, we freeOh, Lordy, we free” (11) Each and every molecule of their bodies and souls must have been surcharged with the passion of this irreversible change.

They are born for the second time. Does this change impact all slaves on an even scale? All slaves celebrate but when they sit together to deliberate on the option given to them by the master, differences crop up amongst the younger generation and the aged ones. This is the change of the era, change of the century! The first reaction from the personal driver of the owner indicates his attachment to the master and anxiety about the uncertain future goes thus and Gaines records his feelings, “The driver he never got in the celebration him.

Everybody else singing and clapping, he just standing there looking up at the master. Then he moved closer to the gallery and said: “Master, if we free to go, where is we to go?”(11) The older amongst the salves advise a cautious approach and wish to stay with the master on revised terms as paid labour in employment, but the combustible younger generation wants nothing but freedom. They say, “We leaving out,” somebody young said. “If the old people want to stay here, stay. We free, let’s move.”(14) This reveals the generation gap and how frustrating experience it has been for the younger generation to remain in serfdom and they wish to accept the challenge of change, regardless of the consequences as to what the future holds for them.

Conclusion: Freedom and change are alternative beats of the same heart for the ex-slaves and majority of them are willing to accept the uncertain future challenges. From the perspective of economy of the country, fresh alignments will take shape, and the masters accept the inevitable, what if with the latent grudge. The social and economic life in all segments is due for transformation. Works CitedGaines, Ernest J. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

Bantam; Edition Unstated edition, July 1, 1982. English, Print.