Slavery and the Life of Harriet Jacobs Essays - 1074 Words

Slavery and the Life of Harriet Jacobs It is well known that slavery was a horrible event in the history of the United States. However, what isnt as well known is the actual severity of slavery. The experiences of slave women presented by Angela Davis and the theories of black women presented by Patricia Hill Collins are evident in the life of Harriet Jacobs and show the severity of slavery for black women. The history of slave women offered by Davis suggests that compulsory labor overshadowed every other aspect of womens existence (Davis 5). This is quite apparent through examination of the life of Harriet Jacobs. All slaves were forced to do hard labor and were subject to cruel remarks by whites, in this sense they were†¦show more content†¦The life of slave women as breeders was real and very cruel. The life of slave women as breeders shows the severity of life for slave women and just one obstacle that made slave life more difficult for black women as opposed to black men. Collins points out that the relative security that often accompanied motherhood served to reinforce its importance (Collins 51). This can also be seen in the life of Harriet Jacobs. The treatment she received was relentless, unavoidable and in most cases unpredictable. She had to sleep in fear of what her jealous mistress would do the next day and what her abusive master had planned for the day to come. Harriet Jacobs did not feel safe with her master and avoided all sexual encounters with him. Then, her master was going to have a house built for her to serve as a sexual haven for them. Harriet Jacobs vowed before [her] Maker that [she] would never enter [the house] (Jacobs 53) and [she] would do anything, everything, for the sake of defeating [her master] (Jacobs 53) in his attempts to use her sexually. Then, Harriet Jacobs becomes desperate to escape her master and chooses to have a child with a white man, Mr. Sands, for the same security that Collins says :accompanied motherhood [and] served to reinforce its importance (Collins 51). She did like Mr. Sands but admits that sexual relations with him would be inspired by revenge, calculations of interest... and sincere gratitude forShow MoreRelatedHarriet Jacobs Experiences in Slavery in the Autobiographical Life of a Slave Girl527 Words   |  2 Pagesthat owned them. Harriet Jacobs, writer of the autobiography Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, experiences slavery in a way that hundreds of others could have experienced. Although others may have seen and felt situations like that of Jacobs , the other slaves were not given the chance to express their emotions and skills through the possible writings, existing talents, or freedom. Jacobs’ father was a slave. Just like all others, except he was a very talented carpenter. Jacobs explains, â€Å"MyRead MoreIncidents In The Life A Slave Girl Summary1630 Words   |  7 Pages Harriet Jacobs writes, â€Å"No pen can give an adequate description of all [the] pervading corruption of slavery.† In the book, Incidents in the Life a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs recount her time as a slave before escaping the cruelties of slavery to freedom. This quote from the book outlines the intelligence Harriet Jacobs has about the torment in slavery. In the beginning of the book the preface and the editor’s introduction to the book outline Harriet Jacobs story. Both the preface and the author’sRead MoreHarriet Jacobs’ Fight Against Intolerance713 Words   |  3 Pagesmight in each† a statement from Harriet Ann Jacobs reflecting her will to overcome the standards of society (97). Harriet Jacobs’ life revolved around slavery from birth to death. Jacobs was a mother of two with determination and insight to make choices to change the way of life for her children. Harriet Jacobs was the first African American women to have her slave narrative published retelling her life story exposing the years she spent escaping slavery and the latter helping others escapeRead MoreA Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, By Harriet Beecher Stowe989 Words   |  4 PagesFredrick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Harriet Jacobs were three individuals who experienced racial identity and slavery after the Revolution. During the beginning of the 1800’s, slaves were auctioned off and given to their new owner who took in the slaves for them to work. It was not until the Fugitive Slave Act was passed that allowed the slaves to go back to their masters. The act was an agreement between the southern states slave owners and the northern states who freed slaves. BeforeRead MoreThe Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs Essay1316 Words   |  6 Pagescultural changes around the world. Slavery is a significant topic in Shaping of the Modern World, how our world change throughout slavery and how slavery changes over time. In the narrative writing, Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, she talks about how her life changed while serving different and new masters and mistresses. I think that this narrative writing is an important text to help us understand the different perspectives of slavery in America. There are some slave ownersRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass And The Life Of A Slave Girl1475 Words   |  6 PagesBrooks Comparative Paper November 18, 2014 The Life of Frederick Douglass the Life of a Slave Girl The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and The Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl are both nineteenth-century narratives about Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs’s experiences born into slavery and as escaped slaves. The concept of gender makes each narrative have distinct perspectives’ of their version of what they endure during slavery and how it shapes their freedom. Even thoughRead MoreA Comparison Of Writings By Harriet Jacobs And Frederick Douglass1718 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of Writings by Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass In this paper I will compare the writings of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass. I will touch on their genre, purpose, content, and style. Both authors were born into slavery. Both escaped to freedom and fought to bring an end to slavery, each in their own way. Both Jacobs and Douglass have a different purpose for their writings. Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass were both slaves that wrote about their strugglesRead MoreHarriet Jacobs s Story : The True Meaning Of A Slave s Quest For Freedom1682 Words   |  7 PagesHarriet Jacobs’s story informs the reader of her experiences and transformative tribulations she had to undergo from childhood to adulthood. No one in today’s society could come close to comprehending the amount of heartache, torment, anguish, and complete misery women had to suffer and endure during slavery. However, we can all learn from Jacobs’s heartbreaking story to understand the true meaning of a slave’s quest for freedom and the inalienable bond a mother has for her children. Life was toughRead MoreThe Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs858 Words   |  4 PagesThe way that Harriet Jacobs describes slavery in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was not a surprise to me. I believed that slaves were treated poorly and often times were hurt, the way that I thought of slavery is just like it is described in the book if not worse. I will discuss what I believed slavery was like before I read the book, how slavery was according to the book using in text citations and examples and also explain my thoughts on why the treatment was not a surprise to me. FromRead MoreEssay Harriet Jacobs Life of a Slave Girl1322 Words   |  6 Pages Harriet A. Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Jacobs’s construction of black female empowerment despite the limitations of slavery Harriet A. Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is an autobiography written under the name of Linda Brent. This autobiography is a detailed account of her life or lack thereof. I use the term lack thereof because Harriet Jacobs was raised by her grandmother due to her mother dying at a young age. Harriet was taught to read