A deep feminist examination of On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley
Writer: Azka Nadeem
Wheatley’s poem On Being Brought From Africa To America reveals the judgment of people based on equality and objectification during the late 18th century. Wheatley provides a very wide explanation of equality in both African and American Culture as well as their judgment as an object in American Culture.
She highlights these differential aspects of both cultures by her own journey as a slave. The current study also shows the journey of a women who faces the issues of equality and objectification in every step from Africa to America. This study is based upon analysis of Black people as well as Wheatley’s herself as Black women in the light of equality and objectification.
She is shown as a black slave who is being brought from Africa to America and in that way, she faces a lot of inequality and objectification by American people. Interestingly during that journey, she experiences a lot of things and justifies a huge difference in both cultures. She argued on that point that there is equality in her own African culture and discrimination for them in American culture.
At one time she was praising that she is moving toward a better place but after observing all the conditions in America She explores a huge difference of judgmental approach of white people. The main hypothesis of present study is that women essence in every culture of the world is their appearance which Wheatley proves by her black color, and they are always seen as an object. Moreover, Wheatley argued on point that equality should be promoted.
The main aim of current experimental study is to show different aspects between Africa and America, and it also focuses on the main issues of black people as well as problems related with black women of that era.
Introduction
In the mid 1700s century, Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa, and she was brought to America as a slave even in the years of her childhood. Her life as a slave was difficult and challenging, but she showed remarkable intelligence and an aptitude for learning. Despite the many obstacles she faced, she somehow managed herself in an educated environment where she became a published poet. As an enslaved person, Wheatley was denied many of the basic rights that we take for granted today.
She was considered property rather than a human being and was forced to work without compensation. She was also subject to the whims and abuses of her owners, who had complete control over her life and well-being. Despite these challenges, Wheatley was able to use her writing as a means of expressing her views and advocating for her own freedom and the rights of others.
Her poetry often addressed issues of slavery, freedom, and equality, and she became a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement. Wheatley’s life as a slave was a testament to her resilience, intelligence, and creativity. She showed that even in the most oppressive circumstances, the human spirit can persevere and triumph over adversity. Her legacy as a poet and abolitionist continues to inspire people today and reminds us of the importance of fighting for justice and equality for all.
During Phillis Wheatley’s time, slavery was legal in the United States, and millions of African men, women, and children were forced into bondage. Enslaved people were considered property rather than human beings and were denied basic rights such as freedom, education, and even their own names. Enslaved people were subject to brutal working conditions and physical abuse, and families were often torn apart as parents and children were sold to different owners.
As a woman, Wheatley faced additional challenges and prejudices. Women were expected to be subservient to men and were deprived from their basic rights and were not considered equal to men even in any field of life, they had not right of vote, could not own property, and receive an education. Slaved women faced even greater challenges, as they were subject to both the racism and sexism of their owners.
Despite these challenges, Wheatley was able to overcome the limitations placed on her by her gender and race. She made herself able to face the society and become a famous poet, it was the remarkable achievement for a woman of any race during that time period.
Her poetry often addressed issues of race, gender, and inequality, and she became a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement. Wheatley’s life and work highlight the injustices faced by both enslaved people and women during her time. Her work, even in contemporary or today’s time, is still urging people to share equal rights regardless of gender and race.
Phillis Wheatley’s life was very different from the reality of society at that time, particularly for African Americans and women. Wheatley was an enslaved person, and as such, she was considered property rather than a human being. She was denied basic rights such as freedom, education, and even her own name. She faced brutal working conditions, physical abuse, and the constant threat of being sold away from her family.
For most African Americans, life during this time was marked by oppression and discrimination. Slavery was legal, and many enslaved people were forced to work in dangerous and grueling conditions without pay or any hope of freedom. Free African Americans faced discrimination and racism and were often denied basic rights such as the right to vote, own property, or receive an education.
Women also faced significant challenges during this time. They were expected to be subservient to men and were denied many of the same rights and privileges as men. Women had limited opportunities for education or career advancement and were often relegated to domestic roles. Despite these challenges, Phillis Wheatley was able to use her intelligence and creativity to overcome the limitations placed on her by society.
She was able to learn to read and write and to become a famous poet, an achievement that was almost unheard of for an African American woman during that time period. Wheatley’s life and work is a source of strength and internal power for any individual to negate and be rebellious the circumstances that are imposed by society.
Methodology
Feminism is all about that all genders have equal rights and freedom. It is about making all women realize their equal rights and empowering them. Feminism is an approach that emphasize the concept that women must have given equality and freedom in society and makes a vision that men and women have equal rights. We inherit a society where patriarchal men have authority over women and considered them their personal property.
In the hypocritic society where a patriarchal man has trained in a way that a woman must be inferior then man, can never consider a woman equal to man. Mary Wollstonecraft argue that Everyone should have equal rights. Equality should be regardless of race and skin.
There should not be any concept of culture and tradition when we talk about equality. She declared that both men and women are human beings so they should get all the equal rights, but women have deprived from their legitimate rights. Women have given a few opportunities in every field of life even they are not allowed to get education therefore they have less education than men.
This makes women inferior to men because women have not enough knowledge about present therefore, they cannot play their role in society. It is also a truth at the same time both men and women have same type of mind therefore women should also give chance to show themselves that they are also equal to men.
The feminist movement is also about how women are treated as an object. Both men and women can be objectified but it is only associated with women object which is an important idea of feminist theories. There are many literary works that describe feminism. Mary Wollstonecraft in her most famous work A Vindication of the rights of women, argues that women are objectified on the basis of beauty.
The standard of beauty is especially related to feminism that women are judged only by their beauty and are used only to fulfill personal desires of men. In our society women are depicted as inferior creature. They have been judged by their physical appearance; they have no identity of their own just because of their inferiority. This elucidation of a human, a living creature is only based on the personal desires of a man.
Wollstonecraft argues that women are treated as inferior as lower creature and used as an object only for the sake of sex. In the patriarchal society women feelings and emotions has neglected as they do not exist in the society even men undermine the women’s self-esteem and impose their will on them without knowing their choice and desires.
Literature Review
Jamison (1974) argues that Phillis Wheatley is the one of the pioneers of American authors. She was a poet of the late eighteenth century. It was the time when many writers were writing like lucy terry had written a poem as early as 1746, Briton Hammond had written a short slave pamphlet by 1760, and many others, but it was only Phillis Wheatley, the first black American to success in getting a book of published.
Her book poems on various subjects, religious and morals, was published in 1773 in England. She was a slave, but despite her position she wrote for Whites and generally in Euro American tradition of that time. Phillis Wheatley was influenced by new classicism and much of her poetry similar in stylistics characteristics of Elexander pop and his contemporaries. Her poem On Being Brought from Africa to America shows her ability to use heroic couplets in pop’s style.
Moreover, Julian D.mason Jr. explains in his introduction to poems of Phillis Wheatley that as she mixes Christian and classical in her poems, remind one of the Milton. Christian pity, death and praise of classical heroes are few themes of Wheatley’s poetry.
Her poetry glorifies the white values and stance. Jamison (1974) also argues that her poetry neither saw in the higher standard of poetry during eighteenth century but all the time, he had seen in such a way that at least blacks tried to explore or show them in poetry. In her poem On Being Brought from Africa to America somehow, she’s trying to present a gesture of gratification that she has been taken from pagan land and taught Christianity. Her self- image reflected and shown in her poetry which is firmly related to religion. The last line of poem remembers Christian, negroes black as Cain.
She didn’t show a clear stance either the Christianity or black can be black as Cain. From this line it is clearly shown that Wheatley’s acknowledgement of curse of Cain and it’s her racist entanglement to his excellency general Washington she praises audacity and bravery and shows her patriotism.
Collins (1975) states that Phillis Wheatley poem On Being Brought from Africa to America is similar to her own poem to the university of Cambridge which is all about the forgiveness of mankind’s sins and the importance of accepting the sacrifice of Jesus to turn away from the temptations of sin.
Likewise, her poem On Being Brought from Africa to America, the start of the poem is about the Wheatley’s religious verses, in which she called Africa ‘pagan land’ and on the other hand she is happy that she learned about God during slavery in America, which is a fact. But in the second half of the poem, she emphasizes that in America black people are treated very badly. This poem is a vote of confidence to the black people who were enslaved that they came to know about God through it. But here also seen the domination and influence of white people over a black African Girl.
At the beginning, writer says that African slavery is good because through it they know about God, but at the end of the poem, the writer says that black people do not give much importance to their religion and humanity. That’s why black people try to accept white Christianity and reject the African region and African tradition.
Wideman (1977) explain that black people also played an important role in American literature. Balck American writers expressed their problems not through ideology but through language and literary style. A very important work that illustrates all this is the Phillips Wheatley poem On Being Brought from Africa to America.
This poem is about a black girl who was brought from Africa and sold as a salve in America, where she learned English language. In 18th and 19th centuries, whenever someone was brought from Africa as a slave, he had to face three kinds of obstacles: first his African language, second their different literary traditions, and third English language.
Phillis Wheatley overcome all these barriers and wrote her work in English language. Wheatley’s poem basically illustrates the complete dependence on foreign traditions that someone who was enslaved and brought to America, and then the slave forgets his own traditions and becomes completely dependent on American traditions. Wideman (1977) attests that Phillis Wheatley was affected by the literary-historical environment into which she was transplanted.
The artistic canon in which she embodies was irrelevant to the new context because language or social framework did not exist to emphasize them. This barrier was impossible to beat. Her experience as a poet in Africa is very different from that of a poet in modern times because America had different literary traditions.
Levernier (1981) suggests that the poem of Wheatley on the surface level can be taken as colonial poem in which Africans colonized by American White people specially through their religion of Christianity, thousands of black people adopted the Christianity after brought from Africa to America.
Wheatly also depicts the theme of racism in her poem that white people considered them superior by making black people their slaves especially black women, they considered black women as an object even they criticize them on the movement of their body. Levernier (1981) argues that on the literal level Wheatley’s poem has two different aspects one of light and other is obviously dark. There is also an imagery of evil spirituality and darkness at the same time.
White people were the religious follower but had no mercy for black people they had dark feelings for black women in their heart and they broke the norms of their religion by making black women their slaves on the other hand black women love their Pagan land from where they were brought and had faith in the God that a Giant power will save us. In the Wheatley’s poemsthere are also the conflicts of skin tones which is also depiction of racism, Americans consider themselves superior just because of their white skin tone and degraded African on their black color even the religion of Americans was also associated with skin colors.
Christianity was linked with white people because it was pure and spiritual religion for them but sometimes it was related with Africans with the reference of Satan who was the king of Darkness and was associated with devil.
Scheick (1992) states that Phillis Wheatley’s poem On Being Brought from Africa to America has been read as her leaving and refusal of African legacy or tradition. In this poem various ways have been found by Wheatley in order to defeat or lick several distinctions allegation between white and blacks. She remarks that the black race can be refined, pure or we can say that civilized like whites.
She also gives signals to her spiritual change. Phillis Wheatley argued that it is not blacks who are under the darkness, but both white and black races live the fierce blackness of sin, and religious (Christian) sense of it applies on both races. Wheatley’s use of word ‘Christian’ in last lines of poem is for whites should keep in mind that black race is also a successor of spiritual purification. While on the other hand this line can also be taken as both races are descendants of Cain in spiritual sense in order to committing sin. She rejects the concept of her contemporaries that Cain is somehow Investors of only black race, but she points out that both Christian and negro are the descendants of Cain who are subject to purification by God grace. It means both races are equal, and both have Cain like darkness (sin) and which poet explain it in second line of poem “a benighted soul”.
Wheatley uses allusions from Bible and these allusions and reference to Isaiah makes it sort of artistic writing. In order to find allusion in this poem, the first allusion we can find in the world ‘refind’. This reference in her poem can be read as being white is not the surety of refinement but God’s chosen are those who live in affliction and find him same as prophet speech at one point in Isaiah.
“Behold I ve refind thee but not with silver. I ve chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah, 48-10).
Scheick (1992) argues that Wheatley’s careful use of matrics and management of rhyme and clever use of Syntax in last lines of the poem, as well as her arguments and well arranged for equality of both racism term of their common ‘Benighted soul’. She is intimate or familiar with racial suggestions that are scarcely traditional expounding of passages, in order to allude these passages from Isaiah. In her poem On Being Brought from Africa to America, she expounds that both races have same common Benighted soul, and both are equal descendants of Cain, moreover, she alludes two times in this poem to rebut and explode the conventionalized reading and view of skin.
Loving (2016) argues the condition of salvation of black women that why they want freedom in their life and how they criticized on the behalf of their body. Loving explore the artful skills of wheatley that her poem on being brought from Africa to America is full of calm and gratefulness. Wheatley wrote that how black women brought from Africa in the hull of ship, how their status changed suddenly, also about the cruelty of Christians and their crucial behavior towards black women.
She also depicts that women are not judge on the base of their status and their education they are only point out on the base of their body. The poet declare herself as a dual citizen because at the same time she is following the Christianity and on the other hand she was feeling pity for herself for being brought from her Pagan Land, she portrays an image of her homeland but her interest in Christianity at the same time. Richmond (1974) attested that Wheatley’s poem On Being Brought from Africa to America has dark aspects of white Americans, their cruel nature towards African that how they rule over black people and retain them in their slavery and deprived them from their freedom.
The last line of poem are the clear depiction of voyage of poet that suddenly change their status from freedom to slavery but at the time Wheatley shows her faith in God she says if there are worries and slavery in America then there is a super power God who is the savior, as she wrote in her poem ‘that there’s a Saviour too’.
Discussion and Analysis
Phillis Wheatley critically analyzes the themes of equality in her poem by having several dictions in it. She purposely uses these loaded dictions in her poem to elucidate the demand of equality. In the very first line of the poem, she purposely uses the word “pagan land” to describe Africa. It was not a Christian nation. And she did not a Christian until she came to America by being slave.
The idea is, she is being saved by God by accepting Christianity in America. Here Phillis Wheatley in her peculiar style of using an ironic tone is endeavoring to explain the “pagan land” in actual context. One possible reading of this word is “pagan land” was her homeland where she was a free woman and was enjoying the fruit of equipoise. As we know, she was being brought from her homeland to America as a slave in a very critical and brutish condition. The irony is after came to America she puts into different bonds. She somehow directly targets that America is a “pagan land” in actual sense because of slavery and slavery was legal in America that time. She as a women had experience living on both lands. She is trying to put focus on pivotal point of slavery that it is a “pagan land” where the greed, benefits and desires of bigwigs of society decide the life of her.
The word “pagan land” has brought with it the term of equality and it is continuously knocking on the minds and ideologies of greedy, desirous and conservative power in society, who think that it is their legal right to have authority or control over her life ultimately over the lives of others.
Likewise, in the second last line of the poem she writes, “Christian, Negros, black as Cain” (Wheatley, 1773, p. 12). She uses a biblical allusion of “Cain”. This reminds us of the story of Cain and Abel. One of the interpretations of that incident is after murder of Abel, Cain was marked by God with black color. And it is considered that all black/Africans are the descendants of Cain. So, all the wrong doings and sins in society are associated with Blacks and considered them as inferior beings.
Same as all the works and habits that are looking weak apparently are associated with women without any hesitation. She (Phillis Wheatley) was African slave woman, one can say that she was double marginalized. Instead of associating the sin or degraded acts with only one powerless or inferior group of society (women are black). Phillis Wheatley’s stance is obvious that sin is in general human nature, and it cannot be tied with one group of society. She says that both races, whether they are white or black, are internally black as Cain.
In white dominant society, the whites on in male dominant mindset, men do not consider their wrong or shameful acts as a sin, and they both considered themselves superior, civilized and closer to God. Instead of assessing themselves, they all the time find mistakes and sins in blacks and women respectively. This shows the hypocrisy of the dominant group of society. On one hand, that group call themselves more and learned one, it is not the standard of being civilized that you only point out the mistakes of inferior group. In the same line, the word “Christian” is intentionally used to describe the hypocrisy of whites that their religion (Christianity) gives equal rights to both blacks and whites, but they (whites) see blacks as an inferior.
The allusion of “Cain” is purposely used to describe the hypocritic behavior of whites because the first murder was committed on the bases of hypocrisy. Negating all these concepts, Phillis Wheatley is basically appealing for equality that everyone either they are blacks, whites or men, women have same rewards and punishments for their acts and all the humans are equal.
In the above paragraph, it is explained that whites are also sinful, same as blacks. Phillis Wheatley negates the association of all the errors with women or blacks. Moreover, she writes in last “may be refined and join the angelic train” (Wheatley, 1773, p. 12). She is actually trying to put on giving an opportunity to subjugated ones. As white say that blacks are naturally evil and morally corrupt same as men say that women have no intellect to compete them.
The use of words like “may be refined” by Phillis Wheatley is a direct statement to white to give black an opportunity maybe they refined or get pure and join the angelic train and religiously both whites and blacks in heaven are very next to each other. If one would not give an opportunity to make them better. Then how one can claim that blacks are sinful morally corrupt or do not have temperament to compete the dominant power. She basically explains that first you provide the opportunity to black or women if still they do not put themselves on the standard of society, then criticism on them is right. But it’s unfair to criticize a person who does not enjoy the legal rights and advantages.
Same as many Wollstonecraft argues that first give opportunity to women then criticize. Both groups deserve equal opportunities and advantages in society. Phillis Wheatley herself got an opportunity of getting an education, she did more than the existing power of that particular society, illustrating her point that by giving to chance them, they would definitely join the angelic train of God and would gain a respective status in society.
Along with equality, Phillis Wheatley in her poempoints out the way whites look at blacks or in other words we can say that the dominant power (men) perceives the submissive (women) one. In her poem, she clearly determines her position in both societies. As she was brought from the pagan land African to promise land of America as a black slave. So, she is basically telling her own journey of self-identification and in that way, she is representing the whole black society and their treatment in America. Above all, she is actually saying that they all have been objectified even in America.
They were always identified and judged by their black color. Phillis Wheatley in her Poem used words like ‘Sable Race’ which clearly shows their essence and importance in both cultures. As Sable Race are words which are associated with Black Animal, and which almost gives the idea about the position of those black people in both countries. Basically, she is saying that we are always treated like an animal whose essence and importance is nothing but only black animal. She highlights the issues which they face in their lives. This poem also gives the idea about issues of black people that how they all were objectified in their culture but also in another culture. As it is a philosophy of any society that a person or group of people who are black have no right to gain respect and identity from any society. In every society, they are treated like objects.
Even they are not treated as humans but as an animal whose color is black and remains black throughout their whole life. Phillis Wheatley, by her poem is highlighting that issue of race that by race they all are judged or treated badly. Their Darkness of skin is the judgment of their whole personality, and this personality is an identity of their lives. She basically explains how she has been taken or perceived not as human but as an animal in this society.
Moreover, Phillis Wheatley describes this issue of objectification by using different words in her poem. She used words like ‘Scornful eye’ which clearly shows her position and her judgment in society on behalf of her appearance. By highlighting their issues of dark racism, she is collectively showing the trend of objectification of humanity which was famous both in Africa as well as in America.
She is highlighting this point that there is no difference related to judgment of our appearance in both cultures. Accordingly, she clearly proves by her words that according to both cultures, Judgment of humanity is always based on beauty standards. If you are beautiful and would set, you those particular beauty standards that are set by society then you would be loved and ultimately society would see you with respectful and testimonial manner. As she did not keep herself on those beauty standards, therefore, she discusses that issue in her poetry that American people stare at her with scornful eyes. This shows the intolerability and narrow mindedness of American that how they look a woman who does not on the proper beauty caliber or excellence in contemptuous and withering way.
They have seen us as an object. She clearly argued on that point that our essence in this world is that we are only black people and always be judged as black and treated in that sense by the people. So, she elaborates that point by saying that our identity remains black, it doesn’t matter whether we change our place or not. So, black people in any region of world were always treated as an object and Wheatley is highlighting that issue of objectification very well through her poetry as she faces all issues which were only related with black people in America.
“Their color is a diabolic die” (Wheatley, 1773, p. 12), In this line of Wheatley’s poem,Again, there are two possible interpretations of this line, one is she again playing on her race. She once again interpreted the views and thoughts of white. Undoubtedly, the word ‘diabolic’ shows, whites see blacks as their internal nature and soul are also wicked and black just as their physical appearance.
They even judge her ultimately blacks’ nature on the basis of their skin color. In other words, Phillis Wheatley basically is trying to portray the mindset of whites, that they take dark color as a symbol of corruption and wickedness and because of this particular sort of mindset, they even take the human with black/dark color as a symbol, mark or representation of evil without knowing the nature of that particular individual. They just try to follow and adore those laws or standards of beauty which are made by them. And the other interpretation of the line could be that she is directly targeting those people who call them a sable race and treat her in humiliating way.
The irony in this line is she used this word to somehow describe the nature of whites who observe a woman and measure her by the beauty standards of their own making. She in deep level, used the word “diabolic”, first to reveal the mindset of whites that they decide the character and even destination on the basis of their color and secondly, she argues that that they are actually diabolic who judges her on the basis some racial prejudices or superiority complex.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we summarize our discussion in a way that a dominant or well-established group of society either they are whites or men, always controls the inferior one. Phillis Wheatley wrote this poem in religious and racial context and despite slavery the point of equality that all humans are equal, and everyone should enjoy equal opportunities and chances. If you cannot allow the inferior part of society to get chance, then how they get better validates the point of Mary Wollstonecraft. Besides this, she also highlights how she has been taken even into a so-called civilized community.
Women are treated as inferior as lower culture and used as an object only for sake of sex. Additionally, women are judged on the basis of beauty standards and even their characters and personalities are also defined on these specific standards of society. This research paper has proved that how a lower culture woman is objectified in society and not just only taken as an object but as an animal. Mean, a lower culture woman is perceived as lower than humanity, that is actually what is narrated in A Vindication of rights of women by Mary Wollstonecraft.