The Slave Dancer: Research Paper “When we were two days on our western course, I heard once again that cry from one of the holds, a woman hair-raising, heart squeezing scream. I had been dancing a group of slaves, and at that terrible sound, Spark signaled me to stop my tune. Not a minute later, a black woman was tossed upon the deck like a doll of rags,” (Fox 51). In the book The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, a thirteen-year-old boy, Jessie is captured and taken on a slave ship. While embarking on a long voyage, he realizes how similar his is lifestyle to the slave’s. Similarly to them, he is punished, eats loathsome food, and is confined to the compacted ship. Aboard the Moonlight Jessie witnesses horrifying behavior towards the helpless …show more content…
“The people of the great vessel were wicked: when we had been shipped, they took away all the small pieces of cloth which were on our bodies, and threw them into the water, then they took chains and tethered two together. Every morning they had to take the man, and throw them into the water,” (First Hand Accounts Case Study). This quote suggests that the crew expressed little sympathy to slaves. This is demonstrated in the novel by Paula Fox The Slave Dancer. Many of the sailors were accurately portrayed by their actions, by throwing slaves into the ocean, flogging, beaten, tortured, and other forms of cruel punishment. “Alexander Falconbridge was a surgeon on slave ships in the 18th century. An abolitionist and governor himself is guilty of all the violent attacks towards slaves. A disgraces to human nature, and profound language were brutal examples sailors often used towards slaves.” ( First Hand; Accounts Study). This is an example of history because many crew members hated slaves, which clearly bleeds through their thoughts and language. In The Slave Dancer the crew’s disgust is shown through their inappropriate phraseology, disregard to the slaves, and acquisitions to the