In the excerpt from the autobiography of John Brown, several harrowing details about the experience of slavery in the early to mid-1800s are highlighted. Firstly, the emotional pain of family separation is vividly depicted, as the author describes the sorrow of leaving behind loved ones, indicating the profound grief slaves endured when forced apart from their families. Secondly, the physical cruelty of the master is emphasized through descriptions of his cruel demeanor and the brutal treatment of slaves, including severe flogging and long hours of grueling labor. Finally, the oppressive work schedule illustrates the inhumanity of slavery, as slaves were made to labor for excessively long hours, often eighteen hours a day, with minimal sustenance, indicating a complete disregard for their well-being and humanity.
I really thought my mother would have died of grief at being obliged to leave her two children, her mother, and her relations behind. But it was of no use lamenting, the few things we had were put together that night, and we completed our preparations for being parted for life by kissing one another over and over again, and saying good bye till some of us little ones fell asleep. . . . And here I may as well tell what kind of man our new master was. He was of small stature, and thin, but very strong. He had sandy hair, a very red face, and chewed tobacco. His countenance had a very cruel expression, and his disposition was a match for it. He was, indeed, a very bad man, and used to flog us dreadfully. He would make his slaves work on one meal a day, until quite night, and after supper, set them to burn brush or spin cotton. We worked from four in the morning till twelve before we broke our fast, and from that time till eleven or twelve at night . . . we labored eighteen hours a day.
This excerpt is from the autobiography of an escaped slave named john brown. in a paragraph, describe at least three details the author discusses about slavery in the early to mid-1800's
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