Thursday, October 16, 2008
Nagging Nig
Using our discussion as a jumping off point, I began to read Ch. 8 with a "Nig vs. Frado" perspective in mind. Not only does Wilson use Nig when she is being discriminated against, but she uses it whenever she follows a rule. Aunt Abbey says, "Well, well, Frado..." and not a paragraph later, it states, "Nig went as she was told..." (81). Even when she obeys those that are not racist towards her, she is noted as Nig over Frado. In reference to her search for her soul, Wilson writes, "Nig was in truth suffering much..." (86). Though society indicates that a darker skin lacks a "white" soul, Wilson shows it only as a device of her overlords, and that Frado can pursue the Bible with freedom and knowledge of her spiritual self. The Nig-Frado duality runs very deep into the book, and I am anxious to see how deep it goes.
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2 comments:
I think the author is trying to show that kindness towards Frado does not necessarily mean they are more humane than Mrs. B or Mary. If they really cared for Frado, they should have tried to free her or at least taken her to their own house. This moral ambiguity further complicates Frado's social stance as a mulatta indentured servaant.
The interchangeabilty between names reminds the reader of the fact that Frado's identity is almost unknown. It lets the reader understand that Frado's identity has not been completely reached; in other words, it is interesting that even though Frado is technically a free person, she is still subdued to becoming an indentured servant. Every aspect in Frado's is clearly incomplete.
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