In the book When I Was a Slave edited by Norman R. Yetman, former slave Mary Reynolds, vividly recalls a time in her life when she was beaten so bad. Reynolds says that as she aged, she recognized that more and more slaves were running away. The slaves were usually caught. The Master would hire slaves to work for a wage in return, which is them basically just working for free for the Masters’ benefit, being that they are already forced to work. So in this case, the slaves have no choice. Reynolds and Turner, both slaves, were hired to work for a stubborn and unpleasant “white trash name of Kidd”. Turner runs away one day and doesn’t return. Kidd thinks that Reynolds knows Turner’s whereabouts, but she has no clue. Mary Reynolds remembers Kidd stripping her and tying her wrists and feet together “from a limb on a tree”, so he can prepare to give her the worst beating she has ever experienced. Reynolds says she fainted and that when she got to bed, she didn’t care so much if she died (109).
The purpose of the violent act against Mary Reynolds would be because she had no answer that would satisfy Kidd. The function would be considered as authoritarian. A term used for when one “favors imposed order over freedom”. Because Kidd is superior to Reynolds, he feels he has power and authority over her, although he does not own her. The function would also be considered as sadism. A term used for when one finds pleasure in inflicting pain upon another. My reasoning is that Kidd has done what he did in his own free will and pleasure, for his eyes only. There was no concrete explanation to beating her and tying her so she can’t move; only to be there to take what he has given her.
(Not completed)
