Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay - 1513 Words

Harriet Ann Jacobs once said that slavery is a curse to the whites as well as to the blacks. As for the colored race ‘it needs an abler pen than mine to describe the extremity of their sufferings, the depth of their degradation.’ Her book ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl’ is one of the most important fugitive slave narratives. She wrote during the same time as Frederick Douglass, although she was hesitant to publish her story. She was a part of the abolitionist movement and was a former slave, very much like Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was an influential writer and abolitionist speaker who was born into slavery in Maryland as Frederick Bailey. He worked as a slave on farms in the Eastern Shore and enjoyed more freedom†¦show more content†¦Towards the end of the book, Douglass makes an appeal to religion. He tells us that Captain Auld (one of his masters) attended a Methodist Camp. Douglass hoped that learning about religion would allow Captain Auld to emancipate the slaves or atleast become more kind and humane. Instead, it ‘made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways; for I believe him to have been a much worse man after his conversion that before’. He makes an ethical appeal here as Captain Auld justified slavery by using religion. The next method of appeal that Douglass uses extensively throughout this narrative is Pathos. The persuasive element is seen when Mr. Gore is introduced and he narrates what happened to Demby. After being whipped by Mr. Gore, Demby runs into the creek to suppress the pain. Mr. Gore threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t come out, but Demby refuses to come out resulting in his death. Douglass said, ‘His mangled body sank out of sight, and blood and brains marked the water where he had stood’. Another example is when Douglass describes his overseer Mr. Severe. ‘Mr. Severe was rightly named: he was a cruel man’. Douglass says that he’s seen him whip a woman ‘causing the blood the run half an hour at the time’ in front of her children. ‘He seemed to take pleasure inShow MoreRelated Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1671 Words   |  7 Pagesbook, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. L. Maria Child, a prominent white abolitionist, agreed to edit Jacobs book, although she apparently did little to alter the text except to rearrange some sections, suggest the removal of one chapter, and add material to another. In a letter to a friend, Child wrote, I abridged, and struck out superfluous words sometimes; but I dont think I altered fifty words in the whole volume. The subject matter of the book -- sexual abuse of slave womenRead MoreIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Essay1624 Words   |  7 PagesIn Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs writes, Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women (64). Jacobs work shows the evils of slavery as being worse in a womans case by the gender. Jacobs elucidates the disparity between societal dictates of what the proper roles were for Nineteenth century women and the manner that slavery prevented a woman from fulfilling these roles. The book illustrates the double standard of for white women versus black womenRead More Incidents In the Life of a Slave Girl Essay1783 Words   |  8 PagesIncidents In the Life of a Slave Girl No one in today’s society can even come close to the heartache, torment, anguish, and complete misery suffered by women in slavery. Many women endured this agony their entire lives, there only joy being there children and families, who were torn away from them and sold, never to be seen or heard from again. Thesis In the book, Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl, Linda Brent tells a spectacular story of her twenty years spent in slavery with herRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesIn Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs writes, Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women (64). Jacobs work shows the evils of slavery as being worse in a womans case by the gender. Jacobs elucidates the disparity between societal dictates of what the proper roles were for Nineteenth century women and the manner that slavery prevented a woman from fulfilling these roles. The book illustrates the double standard of for white women versus black womenRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1604 Words   |  7 Pages The slave narratives Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jones are similar but different in many ways. The narratives tell from the perspective of a man and woman the struggles of slavery and their journey to freedom. Their slave narratives help us to better comprehend the trials and tribulations that happened during slavery. The main difference between Douglass’s and Jacobs’ narratives is their gender. Their genderRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1886 Words   |  8 Pagesthese subjects and more appear to be the focal proposition of Harriet Jacobs novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Based around the individual battles of a slave s individual mission for flexibility, this novel additionally points of interest the episodes and lives of those whom she comes into contact with. The arrangement of occasions that happen throughout the primary character, Linda s, l ife as a slave characterize for herself and her group of onlookers what subjugation implies, as wellRead MoreEssay on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl841 Words   |  4 Pages Incidents in the Life Of A Slave Girl CHAPTER I nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The conditions of this master-slave relationship are that the slave (Linda) is there to do work for her mistress, or master, which is now her sister s daughter. Linda is supposed to take care her new owners five year old daughter, help plant things, take care of any animals and anything else she is told. As a slave, she should also do everything else she is told by her master. â€Å"After a brief period of suspenseRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1552 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery and Christianity in the Life of Black Girl Cristal Ramirez John Jay College African Literature 223 Dr. Endsley September 27, 2017 Harriet Jacobs, in her book â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, narrates the real life and experiences lived by a black girl who born as a slave. In this book, Jacobs shows slavery as something that violates all the rights and principles from the blacks. The way this book is written makes the story more believableRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1701 Words   |  7 Pagessacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither,† a report that suggests many Americans saw slavery as an abominable practice (Jefferson). This was not the case. Thomas Jefferson himself owned slaves, but like many slaveholders in early America, he knew slavery was wrong. In order to justify the horrible treatment of slaves, slaveholdersRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1936 Words   |  8 P ages Harriet Jacobs Racial and Gender Oppression Harriet Jacobs wrote, â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† using the pseudonym Linda Brent, and is among the most well-read female slave narratives in American history. Jacobs faces challenges as both a slave and as a mother. She was exposed to discrimination in numerous fronts including race, gender, and intelligence. Jacobs also appeals to the audience about the sexual harassment and abuse she