In the beginning of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittmann we are introduced to Ticey,
a young girl who has lived her short life as a slave but then becomes free,
along with every other enslaved people, thanks to the Emancipation
Proclamation. Once the slaves’ master gathered them in the house and told them
they were legally free, everyone rejoiced. When reading this part of the story,
I could feel the magic of this moment; the feeling of overexcitement flooded
the room. It was definitely a big change and relief in their lives. This is
when they got to start a life of their own.
Furthermore, something that captured me
was how the freedom given by the Proclamation was partial and absolute. Meaning
that they no longer were treated as objects to be sold, manipulated and abused,
but now they would live a life of insults and rejection by those who opposed
their status. As the story progressed, it became evident how African Americans
were still being mistreated, with certain hate, when the group of people that
left Ticey’s or Jane’s master were basically butchered by Patrollers. It is at
this point in the narrative where I got mad because if black people were
allowed to be independent and this new opportunity in life, why cannot white
people accept it and stop making them suffer? I get that back then the minds of
people were not open to the idea of integrating black people into society, but
they deserved to be part of a community and be treated with respect; they had a
right to enjoy life and liberty.
Putting all anger aside, I feel proud of
little Jane Brown. It is truly admirable how she took care of Ned and how she
held her feelings inside in order to portray strength to Ned to prevent him
from having a breakdown. Undoubtedly, she was a brave and wise young girl. I
can never imagine what I would have done in Jane’s position. Having to protect
myself and a little kid from people who are trying to hurt us and fighting for
our survival at the same time is more than a child can bear, still she did it.
Additionally, seeing her go through anything to get to Ohio just sets an
example of how people should never give up. When adversity presents itself, we
should keep moving forward, like Jane did, without letting it disturb our march.
Links:
Abraham Lincoln- The Emancipation Proclamation
