The Brutality and Necessity of Motherhood

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Dear Sally,   
Being lucky enough to be able to stay together with your family throughout your teenage life, I wonder about your thoughts regarding motherhood. Evidently, though your master and mistress had cared for their children immensely, Martha's health was precarious due to her childbearing, a problem exacerbated by Thomas's decisions to prioritize his own needs. Meanwhile, Thomas and Martha had both had negative experiences with mothers or stepmothers growing up, setting up for Martha fears of her children being forced to endure the same treatment she had with her two stepmothers. In other words, you've witnessed firsthand the brutality of motherhood and dynamics in domestic relationships.

On the other hand, your mother Elizabeth Hemmings, has served as a stronghold not only for your family, but the Wayles-Jefferson family as well. Your mother was a figure who shaped your identity tremendously, but stepping into that role for not only your own children but another's is a tall order for anyone, much less a girl of your age, to consider filling. Of course, motherhood is likely a given in your life, with your identity as an enslaved girl in a time without birth control, but I wonder what effect not having a paternal figure in your life has had on your identity and your future as a parent. Furthermore, do you ever worry that in the future, your family may not enjoy the privileges your family has today, and you will have to deal with the further brutality of enslaved motherhood?

Dana

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