The Kitchen House research paper Essay Example

urged her to act superior to her new station. He even tried to force her to call the servants by their names instead of "mama" or "papa," but Laving saw them as her parents regardless of their skin color. Furthermore, Laving did not understand segregation and was forced to sit with white people at church for the first time.The segregation of the time period is portrayed through the events at church, where Laving felt she had to sit with the white people and couldn't be with her black friends. This type of separation was a common occurrence pre-civil war and throughout the 1 sass. Segregation was prevalent in many aspects of life, from schools and bathrooms to water fountains and benches. While the majority of the novel takes place on the plantation where white owners and black slaves live in separate houses, Laving eventually realizes that there are different expectations for slaves compared to white people. This is evident when Laving looks to Mama Mae for help during an abusive incident with Marshall and realizes Mama Mae cannot speak up because it is not within her rights to do so.Throughout history, slaves often faced punishment for speaking out or refusing to comply. In the novel, The Kitchen House, Mama Mae refuses to submit and is ultimately beaten and hung for her actions. This heart-wrenching moment depicts the inhumane treatment many slaves endured. As Sakes notes, violence was a pervasive characteristic of slavery, with slaves fearing physical punishment on a daily basis. A caste system also existed among slaves with some receiving better treatment, housing, and food than others. The Kitchen House illustrates this divide well,

with the slaves serving in the big house receiving better treatment than those working in the fields under the cruel overseer, Rankin. Robinson further explains that slavery involved endless toil, inadequate food, clothing, and shelter, as well as family separation.According to Robinson's account, Rankin caused psychological damage by frequently selling food to buy alcohol, resulting in the people in the quarters appearing tense and treated worse than animals. As Holler noted, some slave owners even kept their "people" in worse conditions than their animals. Grooms' depiction of Laving revealed the stark contrast between house servants and field workers, with the former receiving better clothing and food. Laving's realization at a celebration that the children's excitement over the little remaining food was rare demonstrated the stark differences in treatment between slaves. Miss Martha spoke of Rankin and his responsibilities on the plantation.The observation of one servant being tied up and another being mistreated indicated the existence of a caste system amongst slaves. Although harsh treatment was considered necessary for those working in the fields, it was not necessary for house servants as they were provided with better treatment and accommodations. Despite this, slaves were still subjected to severe mistreatment, physical and sexual abuse, and received inadequate care, making them aware of the uncertainty and insecurity they faced. Those living in the quarters were treated cruelly and sometimes killed without reason, while even those working in the kitchen house were sometimes tormented needlessly. In one instance, Ben was tied up by four men who accused him of killing a white girl named Sally, which he did not do. The slave owners even resorted to nailing ears to

trees as punishment for wrongdoing.The captain put an end to the unnecessary and cruel behavior of the men, although it was too late – the victim would never fully recover, with a deformed face and the loss of an ear. The situation was a terrifying event that would remain with him forever. Robinson noted that such serious abuses occurred due to the despotic control of owners who viewed the lacks as subhuman. Meanwhile, Belle was raped by her brainwashed half-brother Marshall, leaving her feeling helpless and fearing for her life. After the Thirty Year's War, Rupee's economy suffered, leaving many without work. Indentured servitude became an attractive option, whereby an owner would pay for someone's passage in return for four to seven years of service. The promise of land and freedom kept servants going, although they received little education and faced difficulties surviving on their own. Around two-thirds of European immigrants to America were indentured servants.According to Thomas C Wheeler, Albanians rarely spoke of her time in Ireland except to mention her frequent hunger and reliance on cress, oaten bread, and lard as main meals. People living in Europe faced poverty and difficult living conditions and sought ways out of their predicament, often turning to indentured servitude as an option, which, while not as harsh as slavery conditions, still presented challenges such as the brutal journey over. Albanians' parents did not survive the journey to America, but she and her siblings did. However, Cardigan was sold easily while Laving had a harder time due to her youth and ill appearance. When demand for workers increased, people turned to buying African American slaves instead of indentured

servants due to the permanent status of slavery and its cost-effectiveness. As Sakes notes, unlike with indentured servitude, enslavement lasted indefinitely and could be passed down through generations. Landowners also saw the long-term benefits of buying slaves over indentured servants due to cost and permanence. In the novel's conclusion, Kathleen Grooms shares her inspiration for writing the book and how she went about doing so.

According to Grooms (368), she tried multiple times to alter certain events in her story that she found profoundly disturbing, but doing so would cause the story to end abruptly. Thus, she continued writing what was revealed to her. Her portrayal of slavery in The Kitchen House aligns with other writers' depictions of the pain that enslaved people endured. The owners and overseers' ability to treat others as less than human stems from learned hatred rather than innate traits. Grooms skillfully showcases these differences through the characters Marshall and Laving. In The Kitchen House, Grooms extensively researched and accurately captures the horror of enslavement and indentured servitude before the Civil War. Her work realistically portrays the undignified working conditions and disrespect that people encountered daily. Comparing her writing to historical accounts of slavery reinforces the accuracy and contextual relevance of The Kitchen House.