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Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America

by Saidiya Hartman
$11.90
Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America
Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America

Intense scrutiny of slavery's scars on identity.

If you're invested in understanding the deep and enduring impact of slavery on African American identity, "Scenes of Subjection" by Saidiya Hartman is a gripping choice. Hartman offers a scholarly yet accessible work that delves into the subtle and overt ways in which power was exerted over enslaved individuals and their self-perception. As you explore various historical documents and cultural artifacts, you'll find yourself immersed in a poignant discussion on the complexities of freedom, humanity, and resistance. This book is a thoughtful read for anyone keen on dissecting the nuanced interplay between terror, enjoyment, and the shaping of black consciousness in American history.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America

by Saidiya Hartman
$11.90
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

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This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780195089844
Authors: Saidiya Hartman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date of Publication: 1997-09-04
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Sociology, Philosophy, Politics, History
Related Topics: Sociology, Feminism, American History, Race, History, Theory, Politics
Goodreads rating: 4.61
(rated by 797 readers)

Description

In this provocative and original exploration of racial subjugation during slavery and its aftermath, Saidiya Hartman illumines the forms of terror and resistance that shaped black identity. Scenes of Subjection examines the forms of domination that usually go undetected; in particular, the encroachments of power that take place through notions of humanity, enjoyment, protection, rights, and consent. By looking at slave narratives, plantation diaries, popular theater, slave performance, freedmen's primers, and legal cases, Hartman investigates a wide variety of "scenes" ranging from the auction block and minstrel show to the staging of the self-possessed and rights-bearing individual of freedom. While attentive to the performance of power--the terrible spectacles of slaveholders' dominion and the innocent amusements designed to abase and pacify the enslaved--and the entanglements of pleasure and terror in these displays of mastery, Hartman also examines the possibilities for resistance, redress, and transformation embodied in black performance and everyday practice. This important study contends that despite the legal abolition of slavery, emergent notions of individual will and responsibility revealed the tragic continuities between slavery and freedom. Bold and persuasively argued, Scenes of Subjection will engage readers in a broad range of historical, literary, and cultural studies.
 

Intense scrutiny of slavery's scars on identity.

If you're invested in understanding the deep and enduring impact of slavery on African American identity, "Scenes of Subjection" by Saidiya Hartman is a gripping choice. Hartman offers a scholarly yet accessible work that delves into the subtle and overt ways in which power was exerted over enslaved individuals and their self-perception. As you explore various historical documents and cultural artifacts, you'll find yourself immersed in a poignant discussion on the complexities of freedom, humanity, and resistance. This book is a thoughtful read for anyone keen on dissecting the nuanced interplay between terror, enjoyment, and the shaping of black consciousness in American history.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.