Slights opens her argument on subjection and slavery by first examining the modern interpretation of the “disengaged self” (377). She references Charles Taylor’s work, Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity, to clarify the feelings toward self-autonomy in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. According to Slights, this ideology “foster[s] a sense of responsibility and develop[s] a concept of moral and political law which establishe[s] personal freedom and rights”, yet also demands that the individual exist and contribute to (and within) their community, thus creating a sense of belonging (378). Ironically, as this philosophy gained traction in England, so did the practice of slavery. Because of the innate lack or loss of self-autonomy in servitude, thoughts of “alienation” and “contempt” arise, which leads the individual to believe that they are “social[ly] dead” or isolated(389). This perplexing history and philosophy guides Slights’s examination toward Othello and his understanding of himself, which was created by both his own background as a foreigner liberated from slavery, and his devoted service to the Venetian military. The argument concludes that once Iago eliminated Othello’s sense of belonging and began isolating Othello from his marriage, friendships, and career, his anxiety predictably would have led (and did lead) to a complete existential crisis, resulting in self-destruction.
--Emily Tushar
