Critical Analysis Of Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs strongly speaks to its readers by describing the brutalities of slavery and the way slave owners can destroy peaceful lives. After reading and rereading the story have noticed certain things regarding how Jacobs tries to educate her readers and her intended audience which is the women of the North. As if we do not know enough about how terrible slavery is, this story gives detailed examples of the lives of slaves and provokes an incredible amount of emotions. She uses several tactics in her writing to reach her desired audience and does so very well.

John C. Calhoun, an influential political leader and a believer of state’s rights, asserted that the termination of slavery should be opposed for the reason that the preservation of the union is a chief goal in any established society. However, he argued that the elimination of slavery would cause chaos in the South for the sole reason of

Though this statement only freed slaves in regions still participating in rebellion, it demonstrated a shift in purpose and gave the North moral justification to fight in the war. By thrusting themselves into the war effort, African Americans changed a war based on political disagreements and state power into a war to terminate and “forever prohibit” slavery. (Doc. D) This document may be considered bias, especially by Confederate sympathizers, because it was written by members of the Republican Party platform -- most of which heavily advocated emancipation. Lincoln, who initially remained neutral on the topic of slavery, became inspired by the willingness with which African Americans “stake their lives for us, they must be prompted by the strongest motive—even the promise of freedom. And the promise being made, must be kept.” (Doc. C) Therefore, the willing participation of blacks in the Civil War with the hopes of achieving freedom caused an entirely new goal of the war to form in the

After resigning from vice presidency, Calhoun focused the rest of his life towards defending the slave plantation system. Going up against the growing antislavery movement in the free states (History), Calhoun had the idea that blacks were mentally, physically and morally below whites. To support the use of slavery, Calhoun argued that the poor living conditions of free blacks in the north proved that blacks are unable to exercise their freedom in a positive way. He also believed the African race would be the exploited class, benefiting not only the master but the servant as well, proving there were still benefits towards africans in slavery

Harriet A. Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Jacobs’s construction of black female empowerment despite the limitations of slavery

Senator John C. Calhoun sees the positives of slavery, “I believe when two races come together which have different origins, colors, and physical and intellectual characteristics, that slavery is, instead of an evil, a good,—a positive good.” I believe that Senator Calhoun is referring to the diversity of United States, where multiples races get together and share their unique backgrounds. I agree with this statement because diversity is a huge part of United States and without it, I believe the country wouldn’t be as successful as it is today. Dr. Martin Luther King states, “Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country.” He has a similar opinion as Senator Calhoun.

He also discusses the idea that equality of races would end all progress towards power and wealth as a nation. Calhoun also agrees with Fitzhugh’s ideas that Africans are better off as slaves than as a working class, because they are created to do labor. He also states that because each state has its equal rights, abolition would be against the government. And finally, Calhoun argues that the way things are between master and slave is the best way to co-exist as a two distinctly different races. The thing that makes Calhoun’s arguments so powerful is because of his political status as a vice president and his position in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the House of the Senate.

In her book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs is a slave that was born into slavery in 1813 that has decided to share her amazing story of slavery and her struggles to become free. When she was young her parents were “property” of a really nice lady that allowed her family to have a very comfortable life for a slave family. They were allowed to work for their own money and Harriet did not know that she was a slave for until she was twelve. When she was seven her master died and left her to her sister’s daughter who was five years old. She believed that it was not right to treat blacks in the way that whites did and that someone should not have to purchase themselves or their children. She believed that the whites were way too cruel. She eventually escaped to the north and eventually had someone purchase her freedom for her and her children. Reaching north, Harriet was relief and breath of freedom when she get out from the boat, not long after her arrival to the north she was reunited with her daughter and was ensured of her safety and good treatment she received. She found work in one house and find a friendship in the house she got work with a woman named Mr. Bruce who she was working for, her struggle in those days was been reduce, coming to the north would end all her painful sorrow and struggle. However, there is still another thing she

The conflicting ideologies on slavery of the North and South clashed heavily, inevitably leading to the South’s secession from the Union. Abraham Lincoln wished to suffocate slavery in the states in which it already existed by not allowing the institution to expand into the new territories. In his house divided speech he says “In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed. ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.” The two mindsets could not coexist forever as they were too vastly different. The issue of morality in slavery clearly had split in half with the justification

Lincoln begins his argument against slavery by pointing out that the continuation of slavery makes this country seems hypocritical. He notes, “I hate it [slavery] because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world—enables the enemies of free institutions, with plausibility, to taunt us as hyporcites—criticizing the Declaration of Independence, and insisting that there is no right principle of action but self-interest.” In other words, Lincoln argues that America is weakening its image by denying a group of people their right to be free, while the country was founded on the principle of giving freedom to its citizens.

He wants to show the different treatment of the slaves and the white people and how that was not fair. Frederick Douglas was a fugitive slave and became an abolitionist and a Civil Rights leader. On the other hand, John Calhoun stated that the Federal Government has no right to extend or restrict slavery, not to establish or abolish it. According to our primary resource, Calhoun said that it is impossible to be separated and live together in

Both Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas had one thing in common: they both wanted to become the president of the United States. Because each of them represented different political parties, it was just natural that their views were different on things, as well as similar on others. From the beginning of the debate, these two were sure to make their opinions known. Around the time of their debate, however, slavery was one of the most popular topics. In this essay, I will explain both Lincoln’s and Douglas’s opinions on slavery, and how the presidential debate turned out between the two of them going head to head.

Prior to his election, on October 15, 1858, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech during his last debate. During this debate, Lincoln focused on the issue of discerning the right and wrong of slavery. This topic had become a large key aspect to Lincoln’s president campaign. One point that Lincoln made about slavery was that he had an issue with the fact that slavery took away opportunities from the negro to ever be anything other than someone else’s property. Lincoln thought of it as “…having a tendency to dehumanize the negro-to take away from him the right of ever striving to be a man” (William E. Gienapp, ed., This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham

Slavery was a horrible institution that dehumanized a race of people. Female slave bondage was different from that of men. It wasn't less severe, but it was different. The sexual abuse, child bearing, and child care responsibilities affected the females's pattern of resistance and how they conducted their lives. Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, demonstrates the different role that women slaves had and the struggles that were caused from having to cope with sexual abuse.

In the 19th century, The Cult of Domesticity governed women’s actions. The ideology claimed that women were naturally designed for tasks within the home and advised a conservative agenda for female social behavior. The restrictive image of true womanhood was enforced by men in the lives of all women – free or enslaved, black or white. Embodying piety, purity, domesticity and submissiveness was the only socially acceptable way for women to exist in society. This is why Harriet Jacobs made many of choices she did when recounting her life story in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Like Olaudah Equiano, Fredrick Douglass, and many others, Jacobs’ narrative was criticized by literary critics of past and present. Yet Harriet Jacob’s slave narrative was challenged more than slave narratives written by others because she does not adhere to the idea of true womanhood.