The Dead Book

'The Dead Book' was extremely hard to read. The thought that anybody has it within themselves to treat another human being like that is unimaginable to me. The captain completely dehumanized this girl as he beat her repeatedly and engaged in no sort of human-like interaction with her. What was also shocking is how everyone else on board "The Recovery", which the name itself is ironic, was able to stand there and watch this all take place. "The rest of the men were scattered about the ship doing their chores and didn't much notice the girl hanging from the rigging...and the men didn't give much attention to such things anyway" (140). Towards the end of the chapter, Saidiya Hartman quotes the London Assurance Company Policy, "that it was free from the death of slaves either natural, violent, or voluntary" (147). There seems to be a fuzzy line between what is actually considered "natural" and "unnatural" cause of death aboard the slave ships. "Everyone knew murder was part of work at sea", which helps finalize the idea that it is somewhat accepted and looked past when it occurs. To actually believe that the girl died of 'melancholy' is infuriating to read after presented with such graphic imagery of the girl hanging by her leg and arm while being whipped.