The experiences of enslaved people are important in understanding the long, complex history of slavery, it allows us to gather unique perspectives and acknowledge the people whom we learn about in the past. This paper will argue that The Infamous Rosalie by Evelyne Trouillot uses themes of religion, gender and racism, and sexuality and violence to illustrate the oppression of enslaved people in Saint Domingue, and that the actions taken by enslaved people were means of resistance to slavery. This paper will analyze themes of religion, in the context of the repression of the Haitian Vodou religion, and how its practice was a method of resistance. Themes of gender and racism, depict inequality in Saint Domingue, and violence was an instrument
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During this period, a series of poisonings had occurred around the colony, with mainly white colonists as victims. It is discovered that Francois Makandal, a houngan, Vodou priest along with a mass following of enslaved domestic slaves have been behind the plot to eliminate the white colonists and effectively end slavery in Saint Domingue. The practice of the Vodou religion in Saint Domingue, spread fear through planters and colonists, by uniting the enslaved and allowing them to resist colonial rule as a form of cultural protest. Vodou was recognized as one of the first collective forms of resistance, it was a, “cultural and in its practical applications, a politically ideological force”. Through Vodou, the enslaved would be able to facilitate meetings, and create a network of communication with other enslaved people, as well as maroons. In the novel, Lisette cherishes a talisman, a grande-corps, which was given to her by her grandmother. The talisman is a symbol of power, protection, and provides Lisette with feelings of comfort and security. The talisman, in Vodou religion was believed to protect the holder against any …show more content…
Beckles explains this hierarchy as such, “the entire ideological fabric of the slave-based civilization was conceived in terms of sex, gender and race”. This was the only way that black slavery and white patriarchy could co-exist. In the novel, Lisette recalls a moment, where she referred to herself as, “Sarah’s Negress”, and in response her grandmother Charlotte slapped her and told her, “I don’t want you to ever think that thought again, Lisette. Arada women belong to no one”. The idea of being property was instilled into slaves, enslaved women were also treated as breeding units. After a disruption in the slave trade during the 1760s the need for a new generation of slaves became a great concern for planters, without a constant supply of “slave bodies” the economic system and colony would collapse. Before this period, enslaved reproduction was considered an economic drain because it decreased productivity as well as resources to feed more people. By having children as an enslaved person, it meant subjecting the children to a life of slavery. In the novel, there are a variety of characters who do not want to subject children to this sort of life, each deals with the situation differently. Louise, an enslaved women, had sworn to have children only if they had the opportunity to live a life away from the field. Gracieuse, the cocotte or mistress of the
During this period, a series of poisonings had occurred around the colony, with mainly white colonists as victims. It is discovered that Francois Makandal, a houngan, Vodou priest along with a mass following of enslaved domestic slaves have been behind the plot to eliminate the white colonists and effectively end slavery in Saint Domingue. The practice of the Vodou religion in Saint Domingue, spread fear through planters and colonists, by uniting the enslaved and allowing them to resist colonial rule as a form of cultural protest. Vodou was recognized as one of the first collective forms of resistance, it was a, “cultural and in its practical applications, a politically ideological force”. Through Vodou, the enslaved would be able to facilitate meetings, and create a network of communication with other enslaved people, as well as maroons. In the novel, Lisette cherishes a talisman, a grande-corps, which was given to her by her grandmother. The talisman is a symbol of power, protection, and provides Lisette with feelings of comfort and security. The talisman, in Vodou religion was believed to protect the holder against any …show more content…
Beckles explains this hierarchy as such, “the entire ideological fabric of the slave-based civilization was conceived in terms of sex, gender and race”. This was the only way that black slavery and white patriarchy could co-exist. In the novel, Lisette recalls a moment, where she referred to herself as, “Sarah’s Negress”, and in response her grandmother Charlotte slapped her and told her, “I don’t want you to ever think that thought again, Lisette. Arada women belong to no one”. The idea of being property was instilled into slaves, enslaved women were also treated as breeding units. After a disruption in the slave trade during the 1760s the need for a new generation of slaves became a great concern for planters, without a constant supply of “slave bodies” the economic system and colony would collapse. Before this period, enslaved reproduction was considered an economic drain because it decreased productivity as well as resources to feed more people. By having children as an enslaved person, it meant subjecting the children to a life of slavery. In the novel, there are a variety of characters who do not want to subject children to this sort of life, each deals with the situation differently. Louise, an enslaved women, had sworn to have children only if they had the opportunity to live a life away from the field. Gracieuse, the cocotte or mistress of the