Author(s): Navneet Kumar Sonkar

Abstract: The article examines the marginalization and subjugation of slaves under the system of American slavery. The nature of American slavery was multidimensional; it was not only a system of forced labour but also a system of oppression that included social, economic, political, and cultural exploitation of the slaves. The institution of American slavery pushed African American slaves to the margins of society, and simultaneously the system of subjugation controlled their autonomy. These dual perspectives of oppression, marginalization, and subjugation cannot be separated from the history of slavery. Marginalization explains how Americans were systematically excluded from social, economic, and political structures of American society, while subjugation explains the mechanisms through which their lives and behaviour were controlled. Through analysis of autobiographical narratives of slaves and the history of slavery, the article explores how marginalization and subjugation were used as tools of domination.

Keywords: Marginalization, subjugation, slave, slavery, slave narrative.

Article Info: Received: 27 May 2024 Received in revised form: 20 Jun 2024; Accepted: 25 Jun 2024; Available online: 30 Jun 2024

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.93.74