"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"

Paper Summary:

This paper focuses on the most prominent theme in Harriet Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" that is the unique and severe hardships that women faced under slavery. The paper details the sexual threats female slaves faced from both male slaves and slave owners alike, how slavery affected the relationship of slave mothers and their children, and the severe psychological torment slave women suffered.

From the Paper:

"When Harriet Jacobs states that, "the condition of a slave confuses all principles of morality and in fact renders the practice of them impossible", she intends to portray the fundamental sin of slavery through the horrific burden it places on a slave's soul and psyche. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a based on real life testament of the debilitating effects of this institution on a woman who is enslaved in her earliest years and whose story ends with her still working for a white woman. Jacobs' story, told through the character of Linda, makes a case for the greater difficulty of slavery on women through the psychological torment she endures, and the relationships she has with her children, grandmother, and male owners Dr. Flint and Mr. Sands."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Boston: 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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