African Queen: The Real Life of Hottentot Venus, by Rachel Holmes, tells a very interesting story of the life of Saartjie Baartman. Saartjie was apart of the Khoisian tribe in South Africia, she was widowed, orphaned and a slave to the Dunlop family. Saartjie was twenty two when the Dunlops decided to transport her from her homeland and bring her to London. Mr. Dunlop transformed Saartjie’s life and took her from slavery to stardom. Saartjie soon became a celebrity and was put in a freak show for her elongated labia and enormous buttock. Her physical appearance was a source of entertainment for the social elites in Europe. After 5 years of being tormented and humiliated on stage, Saartjie took to alcohol and soon died. After her death, she was preserved and dissected by scientists to study racial theories. Her body parts where then displayed in Europe at the Museum of Natural History. After two decades, Saartjie’s remains were transported from the museum to South Africa for proper burial.
Saartjie Baartman, is now a symbol in South Africa for nonracial democracy and her legacy will always be remembered. I found this book to be a great read, it tells a very interesting, somewhat disturbing, but factual journey of a black woman in the 1810s. This book was not boring at all and I recommend it to others.
Saartjie Baartman, is now a symbol in South Africa for nonracial democracy and her legacy will always be remembered. I found this book to be a great read, it tells a very interesting, somewhat disturbing, but factual journey of a black woman in the 1810s. This book was not boring at all and I recommend it to others.
-Jackie Kennedy
It is scary to think of all the different ways people can be tortured and the sad thing is just being forced on stage to be looked upon was torture to Saartjie. I'm glad that this book was interesting, but shocked to find out that a slave who was turned into a celebrity/adopted by a family ended up having such a horrible life.
ReplyDelete--Evita
It is terrible that such things went on and also shocking how even after death this women is mutilated and shown off to the world.. I am glad to here her body was finally returned for proper burial.
ReplyDelete-Fidel Castro
This book sounds really disturbing, yet compelling to read! It is horrible that people found entertainment by making fun of another person's appearance. What is even more disturbing is that it could potentially still happen today. I am definitely planning on reading this book!
ReplyDeleteSounds disgusting and sad but I want to read it. It is sad that man kind exploites people like this because they are different.
ReplyDelete-Duncan Hines
This book wasn't on the original list, do you think it could have been? The topic is relevant, obviously, but it doesn't mince words. It's not possible to describe what happened to her without being graphic, and I think the sheer horror of her dissection and preservation in formaldehyde almost warrants reading all the graphic parts. It's hard to believe this wasn't that long ago.
ReplyDeleteIt is really nice that she was able to be transported back to South Africa and buried. Although, her story is too important to be forgotten.
One criticism I have of this book is that it's really short. I know that makes it a good summer read :D, but I was sad when it was over. It is so fascinating and so disturbing, but it wasn't the only case of this type of behavior by the Western scientific community.
Nice work!
Mrs. McCabe