Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumHistorical and Cultural Context

Read the following translated excerpt from the novel *Sab* (1841) by the Cuban writer Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda:

"It is a strange thing, señor: the slave is human, yet society denies him a soul; it treats him as a beast of burden, but demands of him the virtues of an angel. They tell us that we are part of the family, yet we are sold like merchandise. In this land of Cuba, the color of one’s skin is a destiny that no talent, no dedication, and no nobility of heart can ever alter. The sugar plantations grow fertile on our sweat, while we remain chained to a fate that ends only in the grave. And yet, the white man, who calls himself our master, walks under the protection of laws that we are forced to obey but which never protect us in return. Is this the justice of the colonial order?"

Based on the passage, which of the following historical and cultural realities of nineteenth-century colonial Cuba is most directly reflected in the speaker's critique?

  1. A
    The rapid decline of Cuba's sugar-based economy due to the immediate enforcement of abolitionist laws in the early nineteenth century.
  2. B
    The complete integration of enslaved populations into the political administration of the colonial government.
  3. The legal and social contradictions of a colonial system that relies on enslaved labor while denying them basic rights.Answer
  4. D
    The harmonious reconciliation between Spanish colonial laws and the daily lived experiences of the enslaved labor force.

Answer

The legal and social contradictions of a colonial system that relies on enslaved labor while denying them basic rights.
The correct answer is the option stating that the passage reflects the legal and social contradictions of a colonial system that relies on enslaved labor while denying them basic rights. The text explicitly contrasts the expectation of 'virtues of an angel' with being treated like 'merchandise,' and points out that the laws protect the masters but do not protect the enslaved, directly illustrating the systemic contradictions of nineteenth-century Cuban colonial society.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the narrator's core complaint regarding the contrast between how enslaved people are treated and how they are expected to behave.
The narrator highlights that society demands angelic virtues from slaves while treating them as beasts of burden and selling them like merchandise.
This establishes the central social contradiction of colonial slave-owning society.
2
Analyze the narrator's comments regarding laws and skin color.
The narrator notes that skin color dictates an unalterable destiny and that laws protect the masters but not the slaves.
This identifies the structural and legal inequalities inherent in the Spanish colonial administration of Cuba.
3
Synthesize these observations with the historical and cultural context of nineteenth-century colonial Cuba.
The critique directly targets the hypocrisy and legal asymmetry of a colonial system built upon slavery.
This matches the option describing the legal and social contradictions of a system reliant on slave labor.

Key Concept

Analyzing how a literary text reflects the historical, social, and cultural realities of its setting, specifically nineteenth-century colonial slavery.
Rate this question

Topics

Historical and Cultural Context

More questions from this topic