Takaki Quiz

1. What was Frederick Douglass' theory on how to break a slave?
Frederick Douglass' theory on how to break a slave was to make him not know anything but what the master tells them.
"'He must not be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery. The man who takes his earnings must be able to him that he has a perfect right to do so... the slave must know no higher law than his master's will.'"(Takaki 124)

3.  Why wasn't Frederick Douglass allowed to read?
Frederick Douglass wasn't allowed to read because the southerners kept the slaves under control by making them feel inferior and if they learned how to read, they would feel equal and try to escape bondage.
"'To make a contented slave... you must make a thoughtless one.'"(124)

4.  Why were slaves viewed as child like?
Slaves were viewed as child like because they seemed to most southerners as lazy, irresponsible, affectionate and happy, and they were tying to make them believe they were inferior.
"Regarding themselves as guardians, they claimed their slaves had to be 'governed as children.' Unable to plan for their future, slaves would not 'lay up in summer for the wants of winter' and accumulate in youth for the exigencies of age.'"(112)

Assimilation or Resistance

1. Assimilation would be the most beneficial  policy. A political reason would be that you be protected by the American laws, so you wouldn't have to constantly fight for your life. A social reason would be because you would be less hated by the Americans, although not much by many. An economic reason would be that you got a chance to get an education,  job, and earn money. Choosing assimilation would keep you alive and give you a chance to own land, but you would have to give up your current religion and most of what you owned.

2. Resistance would be the least beneficial policy for the Indians to choose. One political reason is that your rules would be completely ignored by Americans and, eventually, lost. A social reason is that you would have to fight for any kind of freedom and you and all of your tribe would be killed. An economic reason is you would lose all of your food supplies, lose your land, and have no chance to get anything back. Resistance is the least beneficial choice because you would lose everything, usually including your lives, and have nothing left if you did survive.

Tempest Questions

4. How were the Irish and the Natives alike?
 The Irish and Natives were similar because they were both believed to be savages because they did not believe the same things as the English. They were both treated extremely unjustly because of it.

5. What was Columbus's first impression of the Natives? How did this contribute to the image of the natives?
 Columbus's first impression of the Natives was that they were ignorant because they had never seen the technology that he was using before and one of them cut themselves on his sword. They were from then on believed to be unintelligible and ignorant.

7. How did Shakespeare's depict Caliban? How was this depiction related to Natives?
 Shakespeare depicted Caliban as savage and cruel. He made him seem uncivilized and impossible to teach. This had a great effect on how the English viewed the Natives. It made the English think it was impossible for the Natives to change.