Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs

She had a happy childhood not knowing she was a slave until she was 6, after he mother died. After her mother's death, Harriet becomes the slave of her mother's

There were no laws that protected slaves from their owners and slave voices were not heard. Slaves were subjected to the absolute power of their masters. Jacobs did not have many options that would protect her from the abuse. She must go against her morals and principles to have some defense against her master. To protect herself, Harriet Jacobs gets pregnant.

Harriet Jacobs wrote about her experiences with slavery not to gain sympathy for her suffering, but to raise awareness towards the women of the North about the horrible conditions for slaves in the South. At the beginning stages of her life, Harriet is brought up in decent conditions making her unaware of her status as a slave. When her mother dies, she harshly finds out that she is a slave. Dr. Flint plays a crucial role in her life in a negative way. He believes that Harriet is entitled to him in a sexual manner because he is her master. After seven years of hiding in a cellar, Harriet is able to make her way up North but despite her escape, Dr. Flint keeps up his persistence to find her.

Harriet Jacobs recounts events in her life in her book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl under the pseudonym Linda Brent. The autobiography shows her life as being born into slavery and experiencing hardships such as abusive and disloyal masters and mistresses and separation from her family. Despite being born into slavery, Linda is independent and strives to be autonomous. Her independence was caused from her parents refraining from telling her unfortunate circumstance of being born into slavery. Once she learns that she is a slave she had already developed a strong sense of autonomy and longs for a free life in the North with a family.

In this memoir, the author, Harriet Jacobs, describes her life as a slave in the southern United States. She informs the reader on the hardships that not only she, but all slaves suffered during this time period. These hardships were particularly difficult for women in slavery as they bore unique burdens compared to men or children in slavery. Women were regarded as the weaker sex, so they were often given jobs such as weaving clothes or nannying the master’s children. While these jobs may appear to be easier, they could, in fact, be more taxing then physical jobs that the men performed.

In the autobiography, Incidents of the Life of the Slave Girl (1861), written by Harriet Ann Jacobs relates to readers when telling her experience throughout the course of her life.  After the death of her kindhearted, and loving mistress it was then that Jacobs finally came to a haunting realization that her life will begin astray.   In addition, while consuming this heartbreaking information at a young age, it was also when she knew she was a slave.  

In Harriet Jacobs “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Jacobs uses her personal

In 1861, Harriet Jacobs publishes the first full-length slave narrative written by a woman under the pseudonym Linda Brent. In her autobiography, titled Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet shines a light on the sexual harassment women endured under the system of slavery, however, with the Civil War in its midst the book didn’t get the attention it deserved until it was later recovered and widely published during 1987. Harriet takes the cultural narrative of the time period, men are superior and a woman's place is in the home, and effectively crafts her own story while dismantling these views (James 1-2). Simultaneously, Harriet grapples with telling the story of Dr. Flint’s, Harriet’s master, sexual pursuit of her and abiding by

Harriet jacobs “Incidents in the life of a slave girl”, explores her story of slavery and the fight for motherhood and freedom. Her story explores the harsh brutality of slave owners both phsically, emotionally,and sexualy. “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women. Superadded to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, and sufferings, and mortifications peculiarly their own”.(Jacobs, p. 86). She fights for years for the freedom of her family and the pursuit to live a family life.

Harriet was forced to work hard with chores and was always given harsh punishments. She knew that her youth was being wasted with her lack of freedom and education. At that time Harriet had made up her mind that she would find a way to escape from the unfair world she was forced to live in. Even though she had grown up in a bad place, she was still able to be a role model and a difference maker.

Harriet has helped people in the Southern United States escape to freedom. Then after she leads so many people to the place where they belong, her admirers call her “Moses” because he himself has led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. It might seem like she is following the tracks of Moses but she is not. She is doing what is best for her people, for the community, and for everyone that deserves the right to be free. She does not care that her life is on the line, and she does not care that she can get caught, but she does care about doing what is right.

White people have more rights and privilege from birth, while blacks face discrimination and the lack of opportunities from early years instead. The author wanted to show that people’s personal and professional success in life was closely associated with their racial and cultural background either increasing their chances to succeed or limiting them instead. Although both categories of people have the right to be happy, only white women can be truly happy in their life being able to marry, have children, have her own home, while black women are enslaved, oppressed and sexually exploited their entire life dreaming about a peaceful home, true love and a happy family. While writing the present book, Harriet Jacobs did not only want to show the hardships of slavery, its impact on people but also wanted “women of the North realizing conditions of two millions of women at the South” (Jacobs 2).

Unlike many blacks Harriet master taught her how to read and write. She then became the first women to write a slave narrative. At a very young age her master was constantly after her, he would whisper fouled thing in her ears as she described, although he did not force himself into her he wanted to control her and would always remind her that she was is and one day she would submit to his demands. Harriet described a black girl beauty as a burden a curse because the masters would be after them and from that time they didn’t consider it as rape. Even in the court of the law the judges would say there is no such thing as the rape of a black woman.

My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skilful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded.” (page 820) Harriet Ann Jacobs was born into slavery in Edenton, North Carolina in 1813. Jacobs grew up in a family where her father was able to keep her and her brother together without being separated.

Harriet Jacobs (AKA Linda Brent) was born a slave, although up until the tender age of six she had not known such a thing because know one ever treated her as such. Linda learned to read, write and sew under her first mistress whom was very kind to her growing up. At the age of twelve Linda's first mistress died and willed her to Dr. Flint which would later cause much suffering and pain throughout her life. Linda was subjected to sexual harassment as well as physical abuse from Dr. Flint during her time as his servant. She was later temporarily able to ward off his advances by having an affair with Mr. Sands in which she had two children from him.