The Betrothal in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is an island that was once under the rule of French planters. The blacks served as servants, maids, and laborers in the plantations. Before the 19th century, the French rule was oppressive and inhuman to blacks and other racial groups. This caused an uprising of the blacks who took control of the island against the French monsieur.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Betrothal in Santo Domingo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The confrontation between the Islanders and whites The confrontation between the islanders and the whites basically rooted in the skin color. Before the blacks revolted, the white French rulers subjected the black race to all forms of human injustices. The repression that blacks suffered from under the rule of the white race generated discontent among the black and Creole racial groups residing on the island. These racial groups stood firm to fight against what they perceived as mistreatment. The revolution finally hit the island with the black race led by Congo Hoango who was a former aide of Monsieur Guillaume de Villeneuve plantation. Congo Hoango was enraged by the previous mistreatment of the white master. He was filled with the feeling of vengeance against the white masters and the entire white race in general. At the beginning of the revolution, Hoango used an opportunity to take revenge on his own master. The master changed his attitude to Hoango after he had rescued him from death. Hoango executed his master together with the entire master’s family. In addition, he took all master’s property and started his crucial mission to wipe out the white race. He used the old woman and her beautiful daughter to deceive whites and ensnare them into their death den. The whole revolution was founded on the hatred between the white and black racial groups. The revolution marked the dismantling of the chains of oppression that the black and Cr eole races had been subjected to for many centuries. The revolution was a revenge for reprehensible ill-treatment by the masters of the island (Kleist 241). The revolution by the blacks led to the massive massacre of the white race. In addition, there was a massive exodus of the white people from the island. The French army, which was also another oppressive force in the island, was finally conquered by General Dessalines. This was indicated by the fall of Port-au-Prince, which was the last French stronghold (Kleist 269).Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are various points of misunderstanding, prejudice, and mistrust in this epic scenario. The black race misunderstood the oppression committed by their white masters as discrimination against them. That is why they massacred the white people without understanding the genesis of the mistreatment. The black race misunde rstood the mistreatment by masters and interpreted it as if the entire white race was oppressive. The black people’s attitude towards the white race is the major source of prejudice. Their vengeance mission is grounded on the misjudgment that the entire white generation was responsible for their miseries on the island. Conclusion Despite warm treatment accorded to Congo Hoango by his master, he still held a negative attitude towards the white generation. This prompted him to kill his master’s family during the revolution. Hoango was relentless in his quest to wipe out the white generation (Kleist 231). In her attempt to save Gustav from the fatal danger, Toni tied him up, but he interpreted it as a sign of mistrust. Toni was out to save him from the looming death and went ahead to kill her. All these events are reminiscent of mistrust, prejudice, and misunderstanding between various racial groups. Works Cited Kleist, Heinrich. The Betrothal in Santo Domingo. New York: Continuum, n.d. Print. This essay on The Betrothal in Santo Domingo was written and submitted by user Sc0urge to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.