After reading the majority of the ”Life of Isaac Mason as a Slave,” I am astonished. I had previously thought that I knew more than enough information about the lives that slaves led, but this narrative enhanced my understanding of the way slaves were treated in society. Although the author does not always define who is a slave and who is white or in charge, the awful personal experiences that he depicts clearly show that he was a slave. As a child and young teen, he was a house slave and was always standing by his mistress. It was shocking to see that he was treated just as an object and not as a person, for as when the mistress died, he was just sold off to another master. He was whipped and punished for the simplest of things, such as just going off with some friends; which was not even an attempt to escape.
A difference between Isaac Mason’s life and Huckleberry Finn, was the escape of the two slaves. Isaac’s escape was planned out and executed in a precise manner, whereas Jim just seemed to go missing one day, and was fortunate enough to run into Huck who helped him escape.The way that Isaac is constantly being followed and chased and how he mentions having to be “safe for a while” is very similar to Huck Finn. Isaac Mason had to hide often, which is similar to how Jim has to hide and stay down low in the raft while they are traveling. It is saddening to see how these people had to always be on the run, and could never feel safe or at home.
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