The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs

From learning this we know Harriet is not in for a good future with this family. The way Jacobs describes the importance of the women in her life is inspiring, given that, at the time they had such little power and such few rights. “Mrs. Flint, like many southern women, was totally deficient in energy. She had not the strength to superintend her household affairs; but her nerves were so strong, that she could sit in her easy chair and see a woman whipped, till the blood trickled from every stroke of the lash” (Jacobs 360). The way she describes Mrs. Flint perfectly captures what all women in the south were like. This portrays an excellent example to Northern women how serious slavery can affect a person.

Later, Linda turns out to be a genuine person, very precious and willing to give, and, in spite of the cruel way in which the news were given to her. Linda becomes the one with the power of giving new life. At that point, she chooses instinctively not to repeat the actions of her birth mother. With the play of events Linda attempts to connect the presence she felt her entire life being Linden. “ I had never before thought of the presence in relation to my twin, who’d grown up not an hours drive away from me, but that night the combination of the phone call out of the blue and twelve-letter word in my puzzle set my thoughts flowing.” (Erdrich page 3)

Slavery was common in the eighteenth century. Slaves were seen as property, as they were taken from their native land and forced into long hours of labor. The experience was traumatic for both black men and black women. They were physically and mentally abused by slave owners, dehumanized by the system, and ultimately denied their fundamental rights to a favorable American life. Although African men and women were both subjected to the same enslavement, men and women had different experiences in slavery based on their gender. A male perspective can be seen in, My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass. A female perspective is shared in Harriet Jacobs’ narrative titled, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Upon reading both of the viewpoints provided, along with outside research, one can infer that women had it worse.

Also freedom for Harriet Jacob is for her to get away from Dr. Flint as he makes her time in slavery very hard. Considering that she never wants to be like other African American women in slavery. Even though Linda spent nearly her whole life fighting for freedom, she never really achieved social, economic, and political freedom. Even with her being able to become physically free; Linda was able to achieve mental and spiritual freedom, which let her continue on despite horrible hardships and countless

Injustice is a prevailing theme in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Tubman, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, Spider Woman 's Web by Susan Hazen-Hammond and Great Speeches by Native Americans by Bob Blaisdell; the diligence of several characters have made it possible for them to preserve and overcome injustices. America has not always been a land of the free for colored people; white settlers destroyed the meaning of freedom when they robbed the land from the indigenous people. Freedom was also destroyed when slaves in America were not treated as full human beings. Despite of many obstacles the oppressed faced, their thirst for freedom and determination helped them in reaching their goals.

Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl allows Harriet Jacobs, speaking through the narrator, Linda Brent, to reveal her reasons for making public her personal story of enslavement, degradation, and sexual exploitation. Although originally ignored by critics, who often dismissed Jacobs ' story as a fictional account of slavery, today it is reported as the first novel narrative by an ex-slave that reveals the unique brutalities inflicted on enslaved women. Gabby Reyes

Linda went through a seven year concealment in her grandmother’s attic, where she manufactured her escape. She wouldn’t submit herself to Dr. Flint so she thought that if she slept with the neighbor Mr. Sands, who happens to be the father of her children Dr. Flint would sell her in disgust. Which he obviously didn’t, he made propositions that made Linda want to runaway even more. Linda wanted her children to have a good life and be free. This is what she thought until after Mr. Sands runs for congress and got married. “He had not emancipated my children and if he should die they would be at the mercy of his heirs.” (Jacobs, 105) Linda made sure that Ellen, her daughter was sent to New York for a better life and her son Benny would follow after. Which he did, but Linda was in for a surprise when she saw Ellen uneducated, like Mr. Sands promised to her. Linda ended up have to teach Ellen herself.

Harriet Smith was interviewed by John Henry Faulk in 1941. Harriet Smith was born into slavery and had no knowledge of her actual age. Smith describes her experience as a slave without receiving any beatings and with a master that treated her and all the other slaves they owned very well. Harriet’s master allowed his slaves to ride his horses to church and while on the plantation. Harriet Smith stated during the interview that she was a great horseback rider as were some of the other slaves. Although she was treated well, she was unable to learn how to read and write just like most of the slaves.

When first arriving Linda tries to continue how she used to live and sleep around with other men in the tribe. Soon she became known for her sexual ways by both the men and the wives. This leads to her being cut off from many of the people on the plantation and this is evident when she asks Lenina, “Everybody belongs to every one else—don't they? don't they?" (Huxley 81)

By choosing to have two children by Mr.Sands , Brent is largely responsible for creating her own dilemma. “But, alas! we all know that the memory of a faithful slave does not avail much to save her children from the auction block.” This sentence from the narrative states that Linda fraternized with the fact that slaves are not supposed to live with their parents always they were sold to another master. Regretting the truth she didn’t take a step off which ultimately proves that she is responsible for her dilemma. If she did this of her hope that Mr.Sands will buy freedom for her children but he proves her wrong. She knew the hardship of the slaves and slave mothers as she has experienced that too when she was given to her new master and mistress

After a quick escape from her master’s house ,she is taken by a white woman who then helps in getting her freedom till the book ends. The white woman is self-righteous, domestic and as Linda quotes her as ‘pure’. As the story continues , we see that Linda is caught twice by this master but the white woman defends her and do not lets Dr. Flint to take Linda away with him. A true woman would never get involved in a dispute, as it is not her place. Nor would she take a woman 's side, and especially not a slave 's, over a man.

Jacobs continuously sets and solidifies Dr. Flint as a truly evil, greedy, lustful, and sinful man -corrupting Linda (Jacobs) even as an adolescent and setting the truest example of the extreme vices of slavery. One of the more telling accounts of this is the letter Miss Emily Flint’s brother supposedly sends to Linda while she is a fugitive working in New York. This letter, written in the most compassionate language: “we all sympathize with you in your unfortunate condition,” “The family will be rejoiced to see you,” and “Come home,” could

The next section of the book was a lot to take in because there are so many twists and unexpected events. Linda with or without knowing it, brings more drama into her life than expected. Still afraid that Mr. Flint will continue his obscene behavior, Linda quickly finds a solution to her problems when she meets Mr. Sands. There is no indication of love between the unmarried white man and negro girl, but Linda only seems to be thinking of herself at the moment. She believes that a baby will be a clear indicator to Mr. Flint that she does not want him. However, that seems to have the opposite effect on the slave owner. Now, he tries even harder than ever to get her to realize that

After LaKeisha’s brother was born, she struggled with all the changes around her house. Fortunately, LaKeisha was allowed to spend time with her grandmother. This time was very important to LaKeisha because she felt like she really mattered to grandma. Their special time together continued even into LaKeisha’s adulthood.

Linda Finally decides to fight when she realizes that her children are also Dr. Flint’s properties. Based on the rules of slavery, children follow mother’s condition and Jacobs was Dr. Flint’s property. She was hoping that Dr. Flint would sell her children to their father since he has a habit of separating mothers from her children. Unlike what she thought, Dr. Flint wanted to use her children as a tool to suffer and revenge her, she decided to take fight for the sake of her children (P.80). From the beginning her only wish was to see her children free as what his father also wished for himself. Her whole purpose of having intercourse white free man was that she could see her children free; however, matters did not go in a direction that she