Slavery

Slavery

A. When and how did slavery begin in the southern states?

·         Slavery, a form of forced labor, has existed since before written records, even playing a large role in Biblical times, and was mentioned heavily in the Old Testament. Contrary to common belief in the USA, slavery did not start in the Americas, nor was it restricted to black African people; it has existed in almost all cultures and continents, and even exists to this day, in one form or another, in some places.

·         In fact, in Africa slavery was common: the tribes would fight each other, and whichever tribe won would either vote to kill the other tribe, or have the tribe be their slaves. If the tribe that won the battle opted to have the other tribe be their slaves, each member would be sent to serve a house.

·         Prisoners from other tribes or outlaws were also kept as slaves, but forced service was often negotiable, meaning they could be freed at some time or another.

B. Which countries were to slaves brought from?

·         African countries and South American countries.

C. Who traditionally bought and owned the slaves?

·         The people who were rich, powerful, influential and needed extra man power.

D. Were there laws, rules that the slaves needed to abide? If yes, what were they?

·         A slave girl's job was to be totally owned by her master, meaning that her body, soul and heart belonged to her master and the only meaning of life to her is to please her master.

·         Slaves shouldn't privately message (MSG, whisper, PM) any man in channel without first seeking permission in the open channel.

·         Slaves who entice should be prepared to act upon such actions. "Slave heat" is a term girls use to describe their sex. However, in the Gor series, the author uses the term to describe the deep desire and sexual need of a slave girl, not her actual anatomical genitalia. In any event, "slave heat" should not be used unless the slave is allowed and ready to sexually please the man

·         Slaves should not enter into the conversations of Free Men and Women. If you wish to converse with other girls, do so in MSG's. Please, do not discuss personal, everyday issues in an open channel.

·         Slaves address all Free Men and Women as Master or Mistress. If their gender cannot be determined by the nick, use Master until corrected, beg mercy for your error, and then make note. All slave nicks begin with a lowercase letter. Master or Mistress nicks begin with an uppercase letter. In the Gor series, slaves are only allowed to address a Free Man by his given name with permission (Master John instead of just Master). Although it is a common practice in the medium of IRC, some men will demand that girls receive permission first. Simply beg forgiveness for your error and make a note.

·         While Free Men may not always be right, they are by definition, never wrong. Therefore slaves do not argue with Free Men (especially in an open channel). Remember, you have the last two words in any disagreement...those being, "Yes, Master."

·         Slaves have no rights, you own nothing. Even your name is not your own, it can be changed at any time (in fact, for an unowned girl it may be changed several times at a Free Man's whim, so be prepared). Any items your Owner gives you can just as easily be taken away. His will supersedes your own, and his tiniest whim is your absolute law.

·         Jealousy and possessiveness of one's Owner are not becoming in a slave. It's you who are owned, not he. While any human may FEEL these emotions, a slave girl does not act upon them. It may be how you handle these feelings when you experience them that speak for your maturity and growth in your slavery.

·         Slaves do not touch any form of weaponry. Also, slaves are not allowed to touch coins without express authorization from their Master. If a man tries to give you a coin, either let it fall to the furs or accept it in your mouth and carry it to the appropriate Free Man.

·         Slaves are to be pleasing at all times; there is no room for PMS or bad moods. Perfection of service and submission is the goal, mere excellence will be tolerated.

·         Slaves speak in third person speech. Therefore you shouldn't use the words "I," "me," or "mine." Instead, say "this one," "this slave," or "this girl." The exception is in speaking of a girl's particular Owner. If permitted, she may be allowed to say, "My Master." Although there are instances of slaves using the standard greeting of "Tal" in the books, most channels on IRC restrict its use to the Free.

·         It is a good idea to ask for permission to enter a channel, if you are unsure of the channel's policy. Always ask permission before leaving a channel or going away from your keyboard.

·         If you don't know how to serve, you should not try unless a man commands it. Then it is wise to tell the man that you are untrained before you begin. He will decide whether he wishes you to serve or not. If he insists upon your service, take a deep breath, MSG another slave for help with that item, and try your best to be pleasing.

·         Never correct another slave in the open channel, send a MSG instead. If you are unsure of something, it's always a good idea to MSG a more experienced slave for advice.

·         A slave girl is supposed to serve all Free Men and be pleasing. However, if you are told to do something that goes against a direct order from your Owner, relate to the Master your Owner's wishes regarding the matter. If he still insists, ask for help from the Channel Ops. If you receive no help from them, some girls are instructed close the window and turn off their computer. If a girl is owned, she may have explicit instructions and you should beg your Master to know about yours. If a girl is unowned, and the request does not go against any Owner's command, but you are terrified, you may MSG a Channel Op for help, but remember a slave girl's primary purpose is to serve men and be pleasing. The Ops may not take it too kindly if you are constantly running to them for protection.

·         Gor is not a fair or just place. There is both incredible beauty and savagery in the books. Out of respect for those who take the philosophies outlined in the writing of John Norman seriously, please try to be polite, pleasing and follow the rules of whatever channel you may find yourself in. It is incredibly rude to enter a man's house, and disrespect his home.

E. How does the notion of slavery relate to the novel? Does the study of slavery help you understand the novel better?

·         It lets us understand that the whites are always looking at the blacks as slaves that they do not have any respect for them. It relates to the novel as in the novel, when the black who was found guilty had clearly enough evidence to acquit him, the white jury still sided with the other whites. This story also tells me about the discrimination towards the Blacks.