African Queen: The Real Life Story of the Hottentot Venus Pages 47-82

Summary:
Saartjie did not testify in court but she did an interview in which she recounted on her childhood and early life in the cape. She explained that she went to England because she was promised half of the money for each visiting person (1 shilling) and she would work for six years. But the money that she made went directly to Dunlop and the government. At the end of the trial the judge declared that Saartjie was neither kept under improper restraints nor was she a slave brought to England unwillingly. Although the abolitionists lost the case, Saartjie was able to sign a new contract in which warmer clothes; a passage home and written security of profit sharing were included. Dunlop did not want advice to get in the way of his business so he gave Saartjie what she wanted. Dunlop realized that Saartjie was in great demand and the citizens of London loved her exhibit. If he lost Saartjie he was losing his only means of money. Saartjie was most excited about returning home.

Due to the court case, Saartjie’s popularity increased dramatically. Saartjie was popular enough to have her own playing cards in which drawings of her singing and dancing were on the cover. Saartjie traveled all around Europe. She toured in Britain, London, Brighton, and Bath. But all of a sudden Saartjie found herself in a cathedral getting baptized. She was entered into the Christian church and was renamed “Sarah”. After the baptism Saartjie was not the same. Although she danced and sang the same way she used to before the baptism it seemed as if she was no longer the same Saartjie, that the baptism changed her personality. On July 18, 1812 Dunlop died. Saartjie had not returned home and because of the sudden death she was no longer guaranteed the passage home. Saartjie disappeared for two years without a trace. Two years later, Saartjie returned to Paris and when she arrived she was loved by everyone. Due to the fact she showed off her buttocks, smoked out of a pipe and showed a little nudity many thought she was a prostitute as well. What they did not know was that Saartjie was forced to wear those clothes and only smoked out of the pipe as an act to involve the men into her routine. She performed daily from eleven in the morning to nine in the night. By the end of 1814, Saartjie suffered from Exhaustion, recurrent flu and the deleterious affects of libations and brandy. Saartjie could not handle the bacchanalian lifestyle that was forced upon her. She drank only to help her get through her performances, private- viewings and late evening displays. Although Saartjie was home sick she realized that even if she was able to raise enough money to go back home she would have to return home and become a house servant. She would much rather live the life of a “HOTTENTOT VENUS”. January 22, 1815 reports stated that Saartjie was under new management and that her new manager happened to be her new husband. His name was Rèaux. Rèaux changed Saartjie’s schedule from eleven in the morning to eleven at night. Due to his connections with the Museum of Natural History he hatched a ghastly scheme which not only produced a small fortune but also led to Saartjie death.

Quotation:

" Saartjie's health, and by the end of the year she was suffering from exhaustion, recurrent flu, and the deleterious effects of the brandy she drank to keep going through her performances, private viewings, and late- evening displays at cafés and restaurants"(Holmes 48)

Reflection:
The quote above explains the effects that some may experience while working as a "showgirl/ Hottentot Venus". Saartjie experienced fatigue, illness and was basically forced into an addiction all for the price of fame.

The fact that people actually risk their health voluntarily so they may be famous is uncomprehendable for me. I think that Saartjie was quite strong. She not only had to endure copious judgments and people, and work long hours but she also had to work while she was terribly sick. Unfortonaly to accommodate those harsh conditions she ended up with an addiction to alcohol. I can relate Saartjie’s case to the cases of women who worked in Cotton mills during the early 1800’s. Like Saartjie these women lived in Europe and worked long hours for low wages. The also had to deal with dangerous conditions and handle complicated machinery. These women can be seen as heroines because of the fact that they persevered threw these complicated and horrible conditions.