Question
Though abolitionists used this image to illustrate the cruelties of slavery, some scholars today criticize the image as dehumanizing the enslaved people. (Teacher note: Among other criticisms, it has also been criticized for not challenging its intended audience to consider their complicity in the slave trade.) How does the image dehumanize the enslaved people?
Answer
Answers may vary: Depicting the enslaved people as cargo without anything about the actual experience on such a slaving ship doesn’t show the enslaved people’s perspectives, experiences or their suffering.
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