Question

Keckley contrasts two very different reactions of emancipated slaves to liberty. Write a three to five paragraph essay that analyzes how the different ideas held by freedmen and freedwomen about their “liberty”—their lives after slavery—influence the lives they build. Use evidence from the passage to support your response. *

Answer 1

Answer:

Keckley, Elizabeth, ca. 1818-1907.

Keckley, Elizabeth, ca. 1818-1907 -- Correspondence.

Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-1882.

Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-1882 -- Correspondence.

Davis, Varina, 1826-1906.

Presidents' spouses -- Correspondence.

African Americans -- Southern states -- Biography.

Slaves -- Southern States -- Biography -- 19th century.

Slaves -- Southern States -- Social conditions -- 19th century.

Freedmen -- Southern States -- Biography.

Washington D.C. -- Social life and customs.

Plantation life -- Southern States -- History -- 19th Century.

Washington D.C. -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.

Slaves' writings, American -- Southern States.

Answer 2

The answer would be:

• When one attains liberty after months and years of slavery it is like a breath of fresh air and mostly one gets joyful and overwhelmed after feeling this way.
• The life these freedmen and freedwomen are highly affected by their idea and perception regarding liberty. Elizabeth Keckley has also mentioned in the chapter "Behind The Scenes" that there are two different visions of these people. The first vision is that some freemen and women feel that their colourless life got beautiful again and now it will be all sunshine and no dimness shall prevail.
• Whereas there is also this set of people who feel disappointed upon being freed as their love for the past is very strong that they do not feel like moving past it. Keckley has many times heard them talking about going back and doing slavery and going to their masters in the South and not rather have freedom in the North.
• It happened because they had become so dependent that the very idea of being independent was torture and showed them a way towards poverty.
• So, people's idea of liberty, once they are freed, affects their life. If one is happy upon being freed then one can live peacefully but if one doesn't like the idea of freedom then it will sulk and exert them mentally and physically and one will not be able to live a happy and healthy life.

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