The late sixteenth-century penal debt bond; which allowed an unsatisfied creditor to seize the body of his debtor; set in motion a series of precedents that would shape the legal; philosophical; and moral issue of property-in-person in England and America for centuries. Focusing on this historical juncture at which debt litigation was not merely an aspect of society but seemed to engulf it completely; Of Bondage examines a culture that understood money and the body of the borrower as comparable forms of property that impinged on one another at the moment of default.Amanda Bailey shows that the early modern theater; itself dependent on debt bonds; was well positioned to stage the complex ethical issues raised by a system of forfeiture that registered as a bodily event. While plays about debt like The Merchant of Venice and The Custom of the Country did not use the language of political philosophy; they were artistically and financially invested in exploring freedom as a function of possession. By revealing dramatic literatures heretofore unacknowledged contribution to the developing narrative of possessed persons; Amanda Bailey not only deepens our understanding of creditor-debtor relations in the period but also sheds new light on the conceptual conditions for the institutions of indentured servitude and African slavery. Of Bondage is vital not only for students and scholars of English literature but also for those interested in British and colonial legal history; the history of human rights; and the sociology of economics.
#450568 in eBooks 2011-12-30 2011-12-30File Name: B00B4FJCIQ
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. "Book of Badness" filled with lots of good laughsBy HondoMy kids loved this book so much when I brought it home from our local library that they now have their own copies. We shared a lot of laughter reading this book together at bedtime. The book is packed with silliness; and its diary-style delivery was captivating for my kids and me as Little Wolf tries to make sense of how one becomes a big bad wolf.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This is my favorite childhood bookBy SEANThis is my favorite childhood book ; its adventurous and funny . The journey that he taking is pretty amazing ; the book has good quality and printing. would recommend it .2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Love It!By LesliePI love this book. I teach 2nd grade and read it to my students every year. Little wolf has some moral issues he has to deal with; and it is done in a fun; interesting way.