Introduction
This essay explores Barry Jenkins’ short film “The Gaze,” an accompanying piece to his mini-series *The Underground Railroad*, through the lens of ethics and the representation of United States chattel slavery. As a student of ethics, I am particularly interested in how visual media shapes our moral understanding of historical atrocities and the lived experiences of enslaved individuals. By reflecting on my emotional responses to the film and contextualizing these reactions with course readings—such as *The Narrative of Frederick Douglass*, the Equal Justice Initiative’s article “Slavery in America,” and biographies of Sally Hemings and Harriet Jacobs—this essay seeks to analyze how Jenkins’ visual choices challenge conventional narratives of slavery. Furthermore, I will examine a specific scene to discuss its imagery and mood, connecting these elements to broader themes of power, humanity, and history. Ultimately, I aim to address why Jenkins may have created this piece and its ethical implications for representing enslaved people in contemporary media.
Understanding United States Chattel Slavery: A Historical and Ethical Context
United States chattel slavery, spanning from the early 17th century to its abolition in 1865, was a system in which African and African American individuals were legally deemed property, stripped of autonomy, and subjected to extreme physical and psychological violence. As the Equal Justice Initiative notes, “Slavery in America was not only a system of forced labor but a deliberate dehumanization, where enslaved people were denied basic rights and treated as commodities” (Equal Justice Initiative, 2018). This system was underpinned by racial ideologies that justified the perpetual bondage of millions, often splitting families and enforcing brutal punishments to maintain control.
From an ethical perspective, slavery represents a profound moral failing, as it violated fundamental principles of human dignity and equality. Reflecting on course materials, such as the Crash Course video on women’s experiences in slavery, I was struck by the particular vulnerabilities faced by enslaved women, who endured not only labor exploitation but also systemic sexual violence (Green, 2016). Similarly, Frederick Douglass’ narrative reveals the personal toll of slavery, as he describes the “terrible spectacle” of witnessing his aunt’s brutal whipping, an event that instilled a lifelong awareness of slavery’s cruelty (Douglass, 1845, p. 4). These accounts underscore the ethical imperative to represent slavery not as a distant historical fact but as a lived, human tragedy.
Emotional and Ethical Responses to “The Gaze”
Watching “The Gaze,” I was immediately struck by Jenkins’ deliberate pacing and focus on stillness, which contrasted sharply with more action-driven depictions of slavery in popular media. Rather than emphasizing physical violence, the film often lingers on the faces and bodies of enslaved individuals, inviting viewers to confront their humanity. This approach evoked a profound sense of discomfort and empathy in me, as I grappled with the ethical weight of their gazes—direct, unflinching, and accusatory. These visual choices challenged my previous assumptions, shaped largely by sensationalized portrayals of slavery, by centering silence and presence over spectacle. Indeed, Jenkins seems to ask whether we, as modern viewers, are complicit in the historical act of looking away from such suffering.
Moreover, imagining the lives of the people depicted was both heartbreaking and humbling. Their expressions spoke of resilience but also of unspoken trauma, resonating with Harriet Jacobs’ account of her own endurance under slavery, where she notes, “I was struggling for a pure principle, for the right to live a clean life” (Jacobs, 1861, p. 55). This connection highlighted for me the ethical responsibility to see these individuals not merely as victims but as complex human beings with agency and dignity.
Analysis of a Specific Scene: Silence and the Burden of Witnessing
One particularly striking scene in “The Gaze” features a young woman standing alone in a field, her face illuminated by soft, natural light as she stares directly into the camera. There is no dialogue, only the faint sound of wind, creating a haunting stillness. The mood is one of somber defiance; her gaze feels like a challenge to the viewer to acknowledge her existence and suffering. This imagery profoundly disrupted my ethical complacency, forcing me to reflect on my role as a spectator. Are we bearing witness, or are we merely consuming her pain?
This scene reveals a nuanced representation of enslaved people, moving beyond stereotypes of passivity or victimhood. Instead, it asserts their individuality and humanity, echoing Douglass’ assertion that slavery sought to “crush… the spirit of insurrection” but could not fully erase the will to resist (Douglass, 1845, p. 10). Furthermore, the visual composition—her isolation in the vast field—evokes themes of powerlessness against the oppressive structures of slavery, yet her direct gaze reclaims a form of agency. This duality connects to ethical discussions of representation, as it raises questions about who controls the narrative of the oppressed and how their stories should be told.
Jenkins’ Intent and the Ethical Impact of “The Gaze”
I believe Jenkins created “The Gaze” to subvert traditional depictions of slavery in media, which often prioritize white perspectives or reduce enslaved people to symbols of suffering. By focusing on prolonged, intimate portraits, Jenkins humanizes his subjects, aligning with ethical principles of respect and recognition. This approach functions alongside *The Underground Railroad* mini-series by providing a meditative counterpoint to its narrative intensity, encouraging viewers to sit with discomfort rather than resolve it through plot resolution.
The film also deepens my understanding of slavery by emphasizing its psychological dimensions—what Sally Hemings might have felt as a woman navigating coercion and limited agency in her relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Gordon-Reed, 1997, p. 112). It challenges us to reconsider how enslaved individuals are depicted in history and popular culture, often as mere footnotes rather than protagonists of their own stories. From an ethical standpoint, “The Gaze” demands accountability, not only for the past but for how we engage with its memory today. It pushes us to question whether contemporary media perpetuates dehumanization or fosters empathy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Barry Jenkins’ “The Gaze” offers a powerful ethical intervention in the representation of United States chattel slavery, urging viewers to confront the humanity of enslaved individuals through deliberate visual choices. By analyzing a specific scene of a woman’s defiant gaze, I have explored how the film’s imagery and mood challenge conventional narratives, resonating with themes of power and resistance from course readings like Douglass’ narrative and Jacobs’ biography. Jenkins’ work not only deepens our understanding of slavery’s lived experiences but also compels us to reflect on the moral responsibilities of spectatorship. Ultimately, “The Gaze” stands as a call to reimagine how history is visualized, ensuring that the dignity of those who endured slavery is neither erased nor exploited. This ethical imperative remains crucial for contemporary discourse, as we strive to honor the past with integrity and compassion.
References
- Douglass, F. (1845) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Anti-Slavery Office.
- Equal Justice Initiative (2018) Slavery in America: The Montgomery Slave Trade. Equal Justice Initiative.
- Gordon-Reed, A. (1997) Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. University of Virginia Press.
- Green, J. (2016) Crash Course US History: Women’s Experience in Slavery. YouTube: CrashCourse.
- Jacobs, H. (1861) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Thayer & Eldridge.
