"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the autobiography "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", by Harriet Jacobs, written under the pen name Linda Brent. The author classifies the novel as a feminist novel, that takes a strong look into the eyes of a mother who loses her children either by unavailability of doctors, theft, or sale. The paper summarizes Linda's story of tortures of a slave sexually abused by her master, and the dichotomy of the master and slave relationship, which was all too common throughout the history of slavery.

From the Paper:

"Harriet directs this to white readers, to dissolve any myths that were about at that time, saying that slave narratives were mostly false or exaggerated. She states her main character as a real person, so that any reader will refrain from immediately viewing the novel as fiction. She also tells her story emphasizing the trials of motherhood in slavery. This is an important contribution, because most slave narratives were written by men. Male slave narratives emphasized physical pain, torture, and endurance, while Harriet writes a new type of novel detailing female emotional and physical struggles."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. New York: Signet Classic-New American Library, 1861.

More papers on "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl":

• Analytical Essay # 144041 : "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"
• Analytical Essay # 89153 : "Harriet Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"
• Book Review # 110994 : "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" and Major Themes"
• Book Review # 75582 : "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" and Womanhood"

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