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Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs

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The “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” is an autobiography written by Harriet Jacobs. It is a narrative about her personal journey as a slave to freedom. She was born into enslavement, and while there, she was taught to read at an early age. Beginning in 1825, Jacobs was sexually harassed and abused by her enslaver. Also, in her teens, she gave birth to two children, whom she had with her neighbor. Next, she fled to try and remove her children from her enslaver's control. As a result, she spent the next seven years in hiding, but her children were bought by their father and sent to the North. After Jacobs escaped to the North, she worked as a nursemaid in New York City and eventually moved there. While living in New York, she worked in …show more content…

Through her description of her sleeping arrangements—a bed spread on the floor with a steep slope—the reader is put in the cramped and uncomfortable space she was in. In addition, the imagery of rats and mice running over her bed emphasizes the unsanitary and dehumanizing conditions she endured, and despite the difficulty she faced, her resilience shows in her ability to find comfort in horrible circumstances. Through this narrative, Jacobs effectively talks about the physical and emotional toll of slavery while also highlighting the persistent spirit of those who experienced it. Overall, the quote is effective for this particular rhetorical situation because her use of first-person narration personalizes the experience, and her firsthand account contributes authenticity and credibility to the narrative. In conclusion, Jacobs uses rhetorical strategies to connect with her readers, such as description, cause/effect, and narration. The "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" is a moving narrative that brings awareness to the realities of slavery, particularly for enslaved women. Jacobs' autobiography serves as a call to action for the abolition of slavery and the promotion of human

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