to express their inner agonies at their plight and at their separation from their homeland while also expressing their inner happiness. The planters received much from these occasions, including entertainment, a means of controlling the slaves, and improved working conditions with greater productivity from the slaves harvesting the corn.
Clearly, the slave culture was marked by the existence side-by-side of two societies, one white and dominant, the other black and subordinate. The corn-shucking festival is described by Abrahams as a slaves' holiday, and there was a duality about this as well in that the slaves both worked and played and did both for their masters. The service was considered voluntary, but few would refuse to attend. Abrahams details the different activ
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