Contrasting treatment of slaves in Beloved Slavery has always been known as a relationship of one person entirely under the dominion of another person. One of the horrible cases of slavery took place in the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries. During this time, Europeans living in the New World enslaved blacks from Africa. White Europeans enslaved many blacks from Africa, but the degree to which each master treated his slaves differed. This contrasting treatment of slaves is depicted in the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison. The two masters in the book; Mr. Garner and the master treat the same slaves very differently. Mr. Garner gives his slaves as much freedom as he sees fit. On the contrary, the master controls his slaves with an iron fist. The way the teacher handles his slaves is a better way to control slaves because it is more direct. He gave his slaves a sense of identity, while Mr. Gardner deceived his slaves and provided them with a lack of identity. The first master, Mr. Garner, was in charge of the farm called "Sweet Home" before the other master called Schoolteacher took over Sopra. Mr. Garner governed his slaves without raising a fist. He was a seemingly polite teacher. He considered his slaves "men" and allowed them to do things that most owners would not do. His slaves were allowed and encouraged to correct him and “even challenge him” (p.125). He allowed his slaves “to buy themselves a mother, to choose a horse or a wife, to handle firearms, and even to learn to read if they desired” (p.125). These are actions that a typical slave owner did not allow. But Mr. Garner was not your typical slave owner. He was a proud man and very pleased with the way he ran his farm and his slaves. Some writers even feel that… the medium of paper… is at home. He realized that he and the other slaves had all been “isolated in a wonderful lie” (p.221). He ultimately comes to the conclusion that life really wasn't any better under Mr. Garner. He was a slave under both Mr. Garner and the teacher. The only difference is that under Teacher he had an identity. There are many different ways in which one human can control another. During the 1800s slavery was a common practice in the southern states of the United States and throughout Latin America. During this time many Africans were enslaved. Most Africans lived their lives knowing that their purpose in life was to be slaves. Others lived their lives without identity, never fulfilling their purpose in life and, in doing so, living a life of deception. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York, Penguin Books USA Inc, 1988.