slavery

A recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobs’s reflections on what slavery

meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of

slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards

death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African

Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and

beaten with regular accurance like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually,

Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever

punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to

perform other tasks associated with a “ladies” work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty

good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes

were actually her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead

to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet bec

. . .

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7) She explains this blissful ignorance by not understanding that

she was condemned at birth to a life of the worst kind oppression. The days of happy frolic were gone, the anguish of slavery was all that lie ahead. Actually,

Harriet always was treated relatively well. In Harriet’s retrospect as an older woman she seems to not have feelings of love and

affection to her mistress but does have appreciation for the knowledge that she gained from her. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes

were actually her curse. Mistress Horniblow was the one who taught her to read and spell, and treated Harriet like she

was her own daughter. This went on until her mistress died and Harriet for the first time was exposed to her value as

property. James Norcom,

but it is easy to draw the most gruesome conclusions of what this predator must have done to the

innocence of Harriet. However, I think

Harriet’s upbringing was an important reason of why she was so elusive in her description of the raping. The young man who was Harriet’s love interest was free born and wished to marry her. She explains how her, “heart was as free from care as that

of any free-born white child. However,

after Harriet’s attempts to pursued her master to sell her to the young neighbor failed she was left worse

off than before.

Approximate Word count = 2751
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)

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