Songs in Times of Hardship (CLE)

People have used music and songs as a way to express their feelings for forever. Music has been around forever, "The "oldest known song" was written in cuneiform, dating to 3400 years ago from Ugarit." Music has evolved from tribal chants in the African countries to folk chants in European countries. As it evolved new instruments were invented to have a background to sing to. Current day music is much different to music from many years ago. Now instead of playing instruments by yourself artist have access to all kinds of sounds from their computer. By having this new technology new forms of music such as dub step and techno have been created. Forever music has been bringing people together to match whatever emotions you are feeling.

In the passage Peter J. Capuano says that Toni Morrison had a lot more freedom in how she wrote the story as opposed to Douglas's Narrative in 1845 during slavery. He says that, "she is free to
focus more on song as a point of access into the reverberating effects of slavery's horrors." I felt that Toni definitely did not hold back when going into the gory details and it really helped paint a vivid picture of what life after slavery would actually be like.

In the 1800's when Beloved was written slave songs were a popular way for the slaves to get through the long hard days on the fields. Music is mentioned frequently in Beloved. Sethe, as slave at Sweet Home, probably sang a lot in order to get through the hardships that she faced. We can infer that when her mother died she sang many songs in remorse of the tragic incident. In Beloved when Sethe is talking about how her mother died she says, "Hung. By the time they cut her body down nobody could tell whether she had a circle and a cross or not," referring to her mothers branding on her arm, "least of all me and I did look." (pg 73) All the blacks back then went through a lot of hard ships but Sethe in particular dealt with her own daughter dying and many other close people that she was close with. When Sethe is with Amy Denver, Amy sings her an old song from her mother to calm Sethe. Amy is braiding Sethe's hair like her mom used to hers and singing the same song. This is a very heart warming part that a white woman would sing to a black woman and this shows that not all white people are racist against the blacks. Songs are a way that get people through their struggles much like people do now a day with modern music. 

Close Reading 2

"I want you to touch me on the inside part and call me my name."

Paul D never worried about his little tobacco tin anymore. It was rusted shut. So, while she hoisted her skirts and turned her head over her shoulder the way the turtles had, he just looked at the lard can, silvery in moonlight, and spoke quietly.

"When good people take you in and treat you good, you ought to try to be good back. You don't... Sethe loves you. Much as her own daughter. You know that."

Beloved dropped her skirts as he spoke and looked at him with empty eyes. She took a step he could not hear and stood close behind him.

"She don't love me like I love her. I don't love nobody but her."

"Then what you come in here for?"

"I want you to touch me on the inside part."68 "Go on back in that house and get to bed."

"You have to touch me. On the inside part. And you have to call me my name."

As long as his eyes were locked on the silver of the lard can he was safe. If he trembled like Lot's wife and felt some womanish need to see the nature of the sin behind him; feel a sympathy, perhaps, for the cursing cursed, or want to hold it in his arms out of respect for the connection between them, he too would be lost.

"Call me my name."

"No."

"Please call it. I'll go if you call it."

"Beloved." He said it, but she did not go. She moved closer with a footfall he didn't hear and he didn't hear the whisper that the flakes of rust made either as they fell away from the seams of his tobacco tin. So when the lid gave he didn't know it. What he knew was that when he reached the inside part he was saying, "Red heart. Red heart," over and over again. Softly and then so loud it woke Denver, then Paul D himself. "Red heart. Red heart. Red heart."

page 137-138

This passage represents the stereotype of women in the time period. Women were seen only as objects, often used (or abused) for sex. Given this time period, where women could barely vote, it’s impressive to see how far we've gotten as a society. Moreover, it appears that Beloved controls Paul D through sexual encounters. It’s debatable that women were seen as slaves, not only to their owners, but also to men; women such as Sethe were under the control of their husbands. This idea of control also relates to the general idea of superiority, where women (and in some countries, still are) were seen as inferiors, and weaker than men.

In several parts of the passage above, we see the theories of feminism in action. When Morrison describes Beloved “turn[ing]her head over her shoulder the way the turtles had”, she applies the theory that women were seen as animals. Secondly, when Beloved tells Paul D that “When good people take you in and treat you good, you ought to try to be good back”, this represents Beloved’s long bottled anger, that she finally releases. I believe she speaks for all women at the time; not only should men and women be treated and living as equal, but when Paul D disliked Beloved for living in their house, Beloved saw this as an emotional threat. She felt uncomfortable, since her father figure essentially disowned and looked down upon her.

In general, Beloved leaks several themes of feminism, and gender inequality. Toni Morrison shows us that society is broken, and to unite it: we need to be equal.

In modern society, we have feminists who make sure that such inferiority dissolves and disappears. Feminism allows society to break away from the past, and see a gender-equal future. This raises several questions in modern society. We’re in 2015. Why aren't men and women equal? Feminism doesn’t push men down, it puts women side by men.

The Chokecherry Denial

 "I've never seen it and never will. But that's what she said it looked like. A chokecherry tree. Trunk, branches, and even leaves. Tiny little chokecherry leaves. But that was eighteen years ago."

"Nor, fifteen minutes later, after telling him about her stolen milk, her mother wept as well. Behind her, bending down, his body an arc of kindness, he held her breasts in the palms of his hands. He rubbed his
cheek on her back and learned that way her sorrow, the roots of it; its wide trunk and intricate branches."

Of all of the characters in Beloved, it is without question that Sethe is the most internally affected and damaged. Her time at sweet home is nearly unimaginable, and has left her with irreparable physical and psychological scars. She tries to keep all of her emotions pent up, as secrets; she pretends to herself and her daughter sometimes that her pain was not as bad as it truly was. An example of this, as shown above, is how fervently Sethe insists that the terrible whipping scars on her back are not scars, but a chokecherry tree. This is denial at its finest. She avoids what really happened, what the scars really mean, until Paul D asks pointed questions about it, about the "cowhide" used to make the scars. And finally, when all her suffering is brought into the open as a result of Paul D's prodding, she weeps. She lets out all of the emotion she has been holding back, pretending not to have deep down, and lets herself cry. This is in part because, as noted by Morrison, Paul D has a special yet inexplicable ability to make the women of any house cry, to make them confess their woes and sufferings, and in Sethe's case, they come out dramatically, as they have not come out for the past eighteen years.

Sethe lets out another pent up secret from her past to Paul D later on, when she admits to having killed her child at Sweet Home. This is her greatest secret, her biggest regret, and her worst memory. Yet, after years of concealing it, she releases it to Paul D. This makes us wonder, what other sufferings or secrets could she be hiding, and how could they be affecting her behavior the way these have? We may never know, but it is interesting to think about.

Close Reading Experts 2

In Pamela Barnett’s essay, she defines Beloved as a novel that mainly talks about slavery and the idea that women did not really have a way to escape that. Pamela dives into how motherhood has affected Sethe since she was a slave. Sethe was long affected by the horrors of slavery and she did not want her children to go through the same tortures she did as a slave. To further her analysis, Pamela uses her personal thoughts to provide insight and information on how slavery and moreover, how rape truly did impact Sethe and that we can see this throughout feminism.

Pamela Barnett brings up the idea that Sethe’s daughter has return back to haunt her for the harm she has caused (chapter 11). From this point, rape is being viewed as as a gender assault on individuals focusing primarily on the harm that rape does to individual victims. The way I view this is that a woman is raped due to the fact that she is forced to have sex with someone where she does not want to. This shows feminism in a way where women could prevent this from happening, but in most cases, it would be very difficult. Therefore, these memories are what women have a hard time dealing with because they have been mentally affected as well. Pamela’s essay use a lot of summarization and includes a lot of short quotes and passages where Sethe have been truly affected and impacted.

So Pamela’s essay truly did allow me to relate to most of her claims about slavery and feminism. Her integration of her opinions and ideas made it easier for me to tie in the possible thoughts and feelings of Sethe as a slave mother through a feminist lens.

Beloved and the Psychoanalytic Lens - Midway through the novel

When I was about halfway through the novel, I had already learned a great deal about the characters by reading through the psychoanalyic lens. There are many themes and subtle characteristics embedded within the text, allowing readers to understand the writing at a much deeper level if read closely.

One of the major things I began to realize throughout my reading was the real reason that Sethe tried to kill her children, and successfully killed one of her daughters. It was clear that Sethe didn't want the children to live in suffering and sadness, but it was initially unclear why she decided the best way to go about preventing that would be murdering them. What I realized is that Sethe wanted to kill her children because inside, she wished she had been killed of never been conceived. Her life at sweet home has been agonizing, almost not even qualifiable as a "life," and she decided that anything she could do to keep her children from that pain was necessary.

This decision weighs on her heavily, years later when she lives in 124. As phrased by one of my classmates, the murder affects her tangibly with the presence of the baby ghost, and inside with her timid and protective nature. It is clear that of everything that has happened in her life, this had the most significant and lasting effects on her life and state of mind. For this reason, Morrison centers much of the drama around this, and names the novel after the ghost of her deceased daughter.

There is much more to analyze in the novel on the psychoanalytic side, but these are just the first and most important things that I began to notice as I read. I also noticed that I could find psychoanalytic elements easier as the story went on, because I was more experienced with the lens. This may mean that I missed some elements in the beginning of the novel, and I may take a look back to see if I did.

Close Reading Experts 1

I read an essay by Terry Paul Caesar who read Beloved through a feminist lens. Terry went deep into the relationship between the general connection throughout mothers and daughters and how that relates immensely in this book between Sethe and Beloved. He touched basis with the idea of women as slaves. He has very well understood what a mother truly is and what a daughter is and what they can do for one another. Terry talks about how Sethe killed her baby to save both herself and more importantly, her child. Sethe saved herself from the responsibility with commitment and the attachment of her baby because it felt like hard work and dedication as it was stated with the idea that Sethe saved her baby from having to go into slavery. She did not want her baby to go through her very same footsteps even though it is very typical for a child to do so. She wanted the best for the baby and wanted the baby to be protected as much as possible. Throughout this time period of slavery, black women eventually had their children taken away from them and they usually didn't get to allow their child's future to be made. Sethe wanted to control and be though what happened to her children, therefore, she went to the extra step and ended the life of one of her kids.

Terry’s interpretation of feminism through Beloved has allowed me to get a better understanding of what aspects women carry and how women are capable to do things that men are not. I never would have imagined Sethe’s willing to kill her baby as a way for her to save herself. That is an insane thing to do because you are losing something as valuable and very important in your life where not that many people would do. It seems that the duty of a mother felt like slavery to her all over again because it took a lot of dedication and strength. She had to raise the child all by herself while keeping in mind that she is not getting any support from anybody else. She has already struggled enough trying to support herself and now she has someone else to support as well. Reading this essay has also allowed me to deeper understand the relationship between Sethe and Beloved. Beloved has come back because she wants to kill Sethe for what she has done to her and her miserable life. Beloved wants to get revenge over Sethe for everything she has put her through and hopes to show her guilt and regret.

Responding & Reflecting 2

Reading Beloved through a feminist lens has allowed me to see each character differently than I would have if I read it through another lens. I have found it very fascinating and quite interesting to see the power structure between men and women during the time period that Beloved takes place in and how that changes over time. From the beginning of this book, I have personally seen Sethe grown quite substantially. Sethe used to be a slave that suffered tremendously due to the fact that she basically had not respect from men. She had to go through a very long journey of obstacles and accomplishments to find her new home and fight for living a better life where Sethe was pregnant with her last child, Denver.

Sethe was pregnant with Denver and this is when a white woman came to save her and helped her give birth. I could already imagine that due to the fact that men didn't really care about women, except for sex, they probably would not have done the same to Sethe. Throughout this time period, it is evident and safe to say that women generally looked out for each other because they cared for one another. A certain individual wouldn't really do much to create a change or an impact on their community, but when they all get together, many different things can occur.

This right here allowed me to see the strength that Sethe has in particular. She faced a situation in life where she didn't really know where else to go or who to look up to. She could have possibly lose a child that really meant a lot to her and so she did not give up. Even though one of her children died, and two ran away from her leaving her with one child left, she has not let that affect her and bring her down, instead, it brings her more strength to survive and live her own life.

Circles upon Circles (upon more circles)

For this Critical Experts blog, I decided to read and discuss Philip Page's article "Circularity in Toni Morrison's Beloved," one of the psychoanalytic criticisms of the novel. Page presents an interesting perspective on the novel, one that I had not thought of during my reading. He argues that Beloved, as well as Toni Morrison's other two novels, is heavily themed around circles.

One circle, he says, is the neighborhood surrounding 124. All of the people in the neighborhood come together to form a circle, that Sethe and co. are largely isolated from. Aside from occasional moments, the family is not incorporated into the neighborhood circle, but into their own. He notes that it seems that when Sethe's family isn't part of the larger circle, their past torments them, making it important to integrate back into the larger circle. This is shown when the community comes together to rid 124 of Beloved.

Another example, perhaps the most important, is the circular pattern in which Sethe walks as she reveals the details of her daughter's death to Paul D. She erratically and nervously circles the kitchen as she admits that she killed her own daughter. This scene, the ending to part one of the novel, is quite a pivotal part of the story, so the use of circles here shows how important that theme is to Morrison.

I am inclined to agree with Page's argument that circles are central to the actions and lives of the characters in the novel. There is sufficient evidence of circular themes, not only in the above examples, but also in the circular boxwood tree that Denver visits, among other things. It is clear that Morrison uses this theme to illustrate the thoughts and feelings of her characters as well as the paths of their lives.

Expert Lens 2: An Inextinguishable Fire

The article Motherhood in Toni Morrison's Beloved, floats several themes of psychoanalysis.

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Firstly, the article defines that "the return of Beloved means that [Sethe] can erase some of the pain she inflicted upon herself by killing her child.". To me, this doesn't necessarily make sense. If Beloved returned, as a "second chance" for Sethe, then why would Denver register Beloved (a character that filled the sisterly role for Denver), as an evil spirit? More importantly, whose interpretation is most likely correct? Is Beloved an "evil", vengeful spirit, or is Beloved a second chance for Sethe?

Secondly, the article recalls when (at Sweet Home) Sethe was taken to the barn, stolen of her milk- Sethe told Mrs. Garner. The boys found out, and beat Sethe to the point that she couldn't run. However, she managed to escape. The article defines that this great escape represents Sethe's mental tenacity and determination, detailing the "stillness of her soul and her strength". I agree with this psychoanalysis. Sethe is usually seen as the tough, gritty mother, shielding Denver from the world. However, these shields were created from Sethe's past experiences, how Sethe doesn't want Denver to be exposed to the dirt of the world.

Lastly, the article defines how Sethe, unlike other slave women, "valued her body". Sethe saw a future (one away from Sweet Home) and strived to find that future. However, Sethe discovered that the Schoolteacher "perceived all slaves as mere animals". This watered the plant of anger in Sethe's mind, but she managed to bottle it. I agree with the effect of this discovery. If someone lives a horrid, controlled life, treated as animals, it creates an inextinguishable fire of anger, as visible in the image above.  This fire soon grew out of control; she developed a murderous obsession which, as the article detailed, disrupted Sethe's ability to adapt to strategy. By burning this ability of hers, some argue (and I agree) that she was unable to find her personality in life, and unable to reach a healthy mental equilibrium.

Experts Lens 1: Existentially Incorrect

Firstly, The Bonds of Love and the Boundaries of Self defines that Paul D filled the psychological void of a father. Before Paul D arrived at 124, Sethe had to sacrifice what she had, to make sure Denver was happy. I

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 agree with this argument; Sethe has regained her role, not only as wife, but also a full-time mother. However, one (wo)man's treasure is another (wo)man's trash (image).  Denver is dissatisfied with Paul D, to the extent of asking "how long [he] will stay here". It almost appears as if Sethe was stolen by Paul D, and Denver lost her mother mentally. The article also defines how Denver "doesn't see Paul D as the other women do"; in other words, Denver doesn't see Paul D as a nurturing father. Instead, she sees him as a threat to her mother. I would agree with this claim; it's fair to say that Paul D corrupted Sethe, based on the "monstrous" dreams Denver has about Sethe.
Secondly, the article claims that Denver fills this void of a "real" father, through Halle; Denver sees Halle as the "Angel Man", notwithstanding that Halle is unable to "play the savior role". I agree with this fact; because Denver doesn't see Paul D as a fatherly, nurturing figure, she sees Halle as her role model. Yet, Halle is seen as mentally unstable, due to his inability to stop Sethe's rape; is an unstable father such as Halle, a good role model for Denver?
Lastly, the article raises an interesting point, that one can't "experience freedom without claiming ownership of themselves". To me, this translates to the idea that, we are locked to our own mentality. We can't truly be free, until we find out who we really are. Are we living in a simulation of slow destruction, or an imperfect utopia? According to Beloved, we are "rooted in relationship and dependent on" our inner feelings. We can only be free, if we unlock the chains of reality.

The Bounds and Breaks of Beloved's Psychology

In Barbara Schapiro’s article, “The Bonds of Love and the Boundaries of Self In Toni Morrison’s Beloved”, she explores concepts of self recognition and psychic freedom. Specifically geared towards the experiences of freed black slaves, like Sethe, Schapiro explains how even though becoming physically free is extremely challenging for a slave at the time, the most difficult challenge of slaves, and all black people suffering from persecution, is becoming emotionally free. This is the central conflict of Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Though Beloved’s gruesome details of the physical strife slaves had to endure are plentiful, the psychic challenges, and how characters do or do not overcome them, convey the most about the atrocious experience of slavery. As Schapiro explains, “even if one is eventually freed from external bondage, the self will still be trapped in an inner world that prevents a genuine experience of freedom” (194). She goes on to explain how the worst atrocity of slavery is not the physical persecution -death even- but the psychic death that haunts slaves for the entirety of their life, free or not.  This horrific internal struggle is what leads Sethe to her very worst: murdering her own daughter.

With this establishment of the internal struggle of a slaves loss of psychic self, Schapiro explores the ways in which the characters of Beloved overcome, or lessen the emotional pain. Simply put, she believes the solution lies in the self recognition that comes with relationships. As she explains, “The experience of one's cohesiveness and reality as a self is dependent on this primary relationship, on the loving response and recognition from another” (195). The most damaging repercussions of a loss of one’s psychic self is the feeling of not being whole- not being human. Without one’s sense of self, essentially without their spirit, how can they ever feel like themselves? Schapiro suggests the answer lies in the power of emotional bonds between two individuals, which most commonly is a mother and daughter in Beloved.

I find this concept beautiful and empowering. Though it takes away from the masculine persona of Sethe being self-reliant and independent, it illuminates the power of relationships- and community in general. Motherhood is a relevant and repetitive theme throughout Beloved. Sethe continuously looks to her children for emotional security for the exact reason Schapiro explains: to exist, both physically and emotionally. The strength of the bond Sethe grows to have for her daughter Denver, and for her supposedly reincarnated daughter Beloved, gives Sethe purpose to live. Prior to this recognition and feeling of purpose, Sethe’s emotional pain and psychic suffering leads her to, as Schapiro explains, kill “her daughter to save her from a similar fate; she kills her to save her from psychic death” (197). This actions illustrates the horror of the experience of not feeling spiritually present or emotionally free. But alternatively, Sethe’s use of motherhood as a method to feel recognized and whole illuminates the unique power relationships and communities gave to the struggling black community. With that, I completely agree with Schapiro that the Beloved’s central purpose is to explore the subject psychic damage and emotional reconstruction.

Respond/Reflect 2: Making the Dough

Sethe works to provide for her family. Making the (bread) dough
represents her hard work and sacrifices for her family.

Using wordplay, I know dough represents slang for money. This quote represents how Sethe is providing and working, day in day out, to provide for her family. Though she isn't working, per say, anywhere. Alongside Paul D. She is working to provide for her family, by making several sacrifices for Sethe and Beloved. On a more personal level, I can resonate with Sethe's action. Moreover, the last four words of this quote represents Sethe's work in the past, and what she sacrificed to reach where she is today.

"Working, working dough. Nothing better than that to start the day's serious work of beating back the past." (88)
Like Sethe, I also work whenever I can, to start scraping my college tuition. Sethe isn't dependent on anyone, revealing her inner obligation to provide and sacrifice for her family.
Several people, of all ages, work around the world. Some work to buy blue chip cars, while others work to support their family and detach from dependence.

Before reading Beloved, I always assumed people worked because they wanted to, and that there was no deeper purpose of working. But after reading Beloved, I "discovered" that many people (even those my age) worked to support their family and even gain experience in their field.

Thus, by reading Beloved from a PA lens, I was able to understand that Sethe worked to support her family. Sethe and Paul D work together to keep the family comfortable, and safe from the crumbling economy.

Feminist Feelings

With most stories I've read or even movies, I have experienced looking at a life changing character (the protagonist) where there is always a message given for the viewers or readers to see. With this book Beloved, it brings a lot of awareness and understanding about slavery and the issue between whites and blacks. With many conflicts that are brought up by this, I believe that using the feminist lens will bring a better insight and understanding of this novel.

Toni Morrison speaks clearly and touches on the idea that the past will always be in the present and that you cannot get rid of the past because it will always be with you no matter where you go. Speaking more on the topic of slavery throughout this time period, it is safe to say that women were considered inferior to men due to the fact that men saw themselves as being more powerful than women. From the experiences Sethe has faced upon, as well as many other slaves, there are issues and many conflicts that prevent her from exceeding just like men have done.

Throughout this book so far, it is also safe to say that men had worked really hard to be where they are. They have gone through to hardships as well as women, but it is also safe to say that women have equally worked just as hard as men had. Even though during this time period, women have been enslaved for most of their lives, I want to be clear that I don’t want to say men haven’t worked hard enough, they have worked as equal as women have even though they both have different roles. Coming from a men’s perspective, I have not experienced any similarity that Sethe or even the slave owners that appear in this book. What I could connect with the most is the the strength and ability to move forward that Sethe carries. I haven’t lost a child like she did but the fact that she strives and fights for her future makes it clear to me that she will not give up on her life easily. I see myself relating to Sethe because I have personally faced many hardships throughout my life and there have been times where i personally want to give up on myself and even life. Sethe has faced so many difficulties and struggles where she basically buried her motivation or even her will to live. Similarly, we only have one live so we have to make the most out of it. We cannot let such things in life slow us down or even stop us, he have to continue on with our lives no matter what.

Close reading and Class Struggle (Close Reading)

From what I have noticed is that there is an immense amount of class discrimination throughout this text, the main type being that there is no way for the main characters to get beyond their situation. No matter how hard they work they can only do so much, and get only so far, Sethe for example, she cannot afford the costs of going north, nor does she want to spend the money to leave the house that is currently haunted by her deceased infant daughter, Beloved. This book does have similarities to the current Marxist ideals, all of the characters stick together, much like the ideals of Marx where the proletariat must stick together in order to stay strong. The example that I am referring to is exactly the moment where Beloved, the mysterious girl who had risen from the water in a white dress had found refuge in Sethe's home. Sethe let Denver take care of her due to Denver's desire to find someone else to talk to besides her own mother. This really sheds the light on Sethe and her family itself, Sethe even get's to know Beloved, even to the extent of taking her in, even though Paul D had doubts about keeping Beloved around. Even though Sethe had known Beloved for such a short amount of time, she opens up to Beloved, talking to her about her life, specifically when Sethe talks about her missing Diamond earrings that she had been given as a present because her marriage did not have a ceremony of any sort. This lets us see how Sethe lets another in and takes her into her small group, even though this new young woman has no job, or way of contributing to the household. From what we can see here is an example of a Marxist ideology preforming itself out, without any sort of knowledge of it.

The "Freaks" Watching The Freakshow

"In any case it was a small price to pay for the fun they might never have again. Two pennies and an insult were well spent if it meant seeing the spectacle of whitefolks making a spectacle of themselves." (pg. 58)

Freakshows used to be a big form of entertainment back in the 1800's. According to History Magazine, "The historical traditions of freak shows and exhibitions date back to the reign of England’s Elizabeth I, as early as the 16th century." People with freakish disabilities would be paid to perform for crowds of people. Although this was probably humiliating for the disabled people it was better than having to go to jail or mental facilities for being different. The freakshows were like a circus but instead of them showing off talents they had practiced, their talents were the deformities in their bodies.

In the time period Beloved takes place in, this was right after slavery had just ended. The African American community was treated much like people in freak shows. In the south having a disability was looked at much like being African American where you would be treated differently. "The stigmatization of disability resulted in the social and economic marginalization of generations of Americans with disabilities, and like many other oppressed minorities, left people with disabilities in a severe state of impoverishment for centuries." They were looked at as 1/2 a human and were kept as property. After many years of being treated like they were nothing the blacks started to believe it as well.

In this particular part of the story all of the African Americans have gathered to a Carnival to watch a "spectacle of whitefolks" with strange disabilities. Sethe, Denver and Paul D all walked down a long road covered with roses along the side to go check out the carnival with freaks in it. For two pennies they were able to enjoy a fun day mocking the whites in the freakshows with disabilities.  It is very ironic to have the whites now being laughed at, opposed to the other way around during slavery, and looked as not "real" people.