Life for a slave in the book, “Chains” by Laurie Halse Anderson wasn’t always easy. There were different types of slaves in this book and they all had different jobs that were very difficult for some of them. Some were even sold to other people and some slaves had to work as labourers which made them have a lot of injuries that sometimes led to death. Many slaves’ life included plantations, small farms, and their city. They all were different especially when they were all from different parts of the world and different colonies. Not every slave had their life “easy” because they were always bossed around by their master or their leader. Servants weren’t allowed to disobey their master or they would obviously be either sold off to worse conditions
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Some had greater power over others and some just simply had no power what so ever. There were many differences between the slaves mentioned in the book and they all had a specific job or task to complete before they were mistreated more than they already were. Servants were usually working-class white people who were often immigrants, who were paid wages to work for their labor. These servants were allowed to quit their jobs if they ever desired to do so. There was also the indentured servant which was mainly a white person who promised their labor for 7 years often in exchange for passage in America. If they left their “master” before their term of service was up, they had a chance of being arrested. This type of servant was mentioned in the book. The one slave who wanted to go back home would want to be in the revolutionary battle just so that they could go back home and be free at last. Indentured servants didn’t have all of the freedoms of a non indentured white person, but they had many more rights and protection than actual slaves did. African slaves had it very different,though. Slaves were typically an African descent who were not paid for their work and they had to do everything demanded by the one person who owned them. They had no rights and little protection from cruel treatment and inhumane living conditions. Slaves of course weren’t allowed to marry and children were very frequently sold away from their parents. In the book, “Chains,” it states, “ I also have been whipped many a time on my naked skin, and sometime till the blood has run down over my waistband; but the greatest grief I then had was to see them whip my mother, and to hear her, on her knees, begging for mercy.” (pg. 146.) This strongly shows that the African slaves weren’t treated with respect. This boy was very young, around 16 or 17, and he was already getting abused by his master and his own mother was also being hit very roughly by the
Some had greater power over others and some just simply had no power what so ever. There were many differences between the slaves mentioned in the book and they all had a specific job or task to complete before they were mistreated more than they already were. Servants were usually working-class white people who were often immigrants, who were paid wages to work for their labor. These servants were allowed to quit their jobs if they ever desired to do so. There was also the indentured servant which was mainly a white person who promised their labor for 7 years often in exchange for passage in America. If they left their “master” before their term of service was up, they had a chance of being arrested. This type of servant was mentioned in the book. The one slave who wanted to go back home would want to be in the revolutionary battle just so that they could go back home and be free at last. Indentured servants didn’t have all of the freedoms of a non indentured white person, but they had many more rights and protection than actual slaves did. African slaves had it very different,though. Slaves were typically an African descent who were not paid for their work and they had to do everything demanded by the one person who owned them. They had no rights and little protection from cruel treatment and inhumane living conditions. Slaves of course weren’t allowed to marry and children were very frequently sold away from their parents. In the book, “Chains,” it states, “ I also have been whipped many a time on my naked skin, and sometime till the blood has run down over my waistband; but the greatest grief I then had was to see them whip my mother, and to hear her, on her knees, begging for mercy.” (pg. 146.) This strongly shows that the African slaves weren’t treated with respect. This boy was very young, around 16 or 17, and he was already getting abused by his master and his own mother was also being hit very roughly by the