The Harrowing Story Of Harriet Jacobs - 1284 Words

The harrowing story of Harriet Jacobs experiences with slavery opens the reader’s eyes to the special cruelty women endured under the watchful eye of their masters and mistresses. And while Jacobs openly admits that slavery is terrible fate for both men and women, there are additional burdens added to women who are forced to live under the commands of another. Jacobs writes, â€Å"Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women. Superadded to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, and sufferings, and mortifications peculiarly their own.† This peculiar suffering Jacobs speaks of is often related to the morality of the soul, and the persistent pressure that women must endure under the control of their master, especially concerning rape and sexual harassment. Added on top of the physical punishment that all slaves experience, women, especially those born with beauty, suffer from moral failings when a master forces himself upon them. Furthermore, an additional pain women must endure, is that of motherhood. In a matriarchal society, women are responsible for the wellbeing of others, as was the case with Linda’s grandmother. Women has additional tethers to their lives which only serve to increase the pains of slavery. It is well known that black slaves in America faced many trials and tribulations, however, there are cruelties which women faced with the institution of slavery which were exclusive to their gender. For slave women, sexual harassment, and rapeShow MoreRelatedWomen Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs1256 Words   |  6 PagesHarriet 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 na rrative by an ex-slave that reveals the unique brutalities inflicted on enslaved women. Gabby Reyes Am. History DrRead MoreLife of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass1524 Words   |  6 PagesLife of a Slave Girl written by Harriet Jacobs and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass both do a tremendous job of showing the harrowing effects of slavery. Jacobs and Douglass had to endure the hate of a society that despised their race and mistakenly encouraged the existence of slavery in society. These two stories present two different perspectives of people from the most oppressed groups in one of if not the darkest time in American history. Both stories while being incredibly dark andRead MoreIncidents During The Life Of A Slave Girl2296 Words   |  10 Pagesdeprivation inflicted on them by their white masters. Most of them told narratives and inspiring stories of a brutalized slave’s journey toward self-definition and self-assertion. Like many of these stories, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl narrates the abuses of slavery, the slave’s struggl e for self-definition and self-respect, and the harrowing details of a dangerous escape. However, Jacobs’s story also emphasizes the special problems faced by female slaves, particularly sexual abuse and theRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Summary1734 Words   |  7 Pageskindle a flame of compassion in your hearts for my sisters who are still in bondage.† With these words, Harriet Jacobs tells her reasons for deciding to make her personal story of enslavement public. Through this book, she is able to reveal the degradation, sexual exploitation, and unique brutalities of women in slavery in hopes to make a change. In the beginning years of her life, Linda Brent, Harriet Jacob’s surname for this book, was unaware of the fact that she was a slave but soon after, her lifeRead MoreThe Disturbing World Of Human Trafficking999 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Man is a wolf to man.† This Latin proverb starts the reader on a harrowing journey into the disturbing world of human trafficking. John Bowe speaks to the typical American as he investigates the often hidden and dangerous side of globalization. Humans have a natural desire to get ahead in life, even if sometimes others have to suffer as a result. This attitude is the catalyst for what is known as modern day slavery. The author sums up his book perfectly when he says, â€Å"We all seek control. ControlRead MoreThe Role of Mother for Slave Women in Harriet Jacobs ´ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Harriet Beecher Stowe ´s Uncle Tom ´s Cabin3385 Words   |  14 Pagesdefines a stage in womans life that should be a pleasant and happy experience, but thats not the case for everybody. The dehumanizing acts of slavery are eminent in many novels, such as Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. In these novels, slave women were not suppose to enjoy the role of mother. It was either physically taken away or their mother instincts were brutally effected. Slave mothers had to face many consequences and sacrifices