Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs

Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery in 1813. She was unaware that she was a slave until her mid childhood. Growing up, a doctor, by the name of Norcom would constantly abuse her to the point that she wanted to resist his advances. She had an affair with an attorney named Sawyer and had children. Norcom sent her to a country plantation and Jacobs went into hiding. Sawyer purchased her, but did not free her children. In a few decades, Jacobs worked in a family of writers, the Wilis, and grew close with the wife, an abolitionist. Through the help of the Cornelia Wilis, Jacobs was purchased from Norcom’s daughter and was emancipated.
In the narrative, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Jacobs depicts herself by the name of Linda Brent …show more content…
One example would feature Dr. Flint threatening Linda about building a cottage for both of them to live in (Jacobs 919). Given the fact that Dr. Flint sexually abuses her before even mentioning the cottage foreshadows that he would have done worse in the cottage and no one would know a single bit of it. Another example is Dr. Flint’s attempt to get a hold of Linda while she goes into hiding. Jacobs claimed that, “Dr. Flint and his family repeatedly tried to coax and bribe my children to tell something they had heard said about me. One day the doctor took them into a shop and offered them some bright little silver pieces and gay handkerchiefs if they would tell where their mother was" (Jacob 925). It is clear that Dr. Flint has a moral and ego conflict, due to the slavery mindset of viewing slaves as property. If he has her, it would be an ego boost. Sadly for Linda, that mindset would torment her into living in fear. In the presence of slavery, many slaves fear of being abused by their slave owners—from rape, threats, and physical abuse. For female slaves, the abuse leads them into believing that they are hopeless and end up not fighting for their rights. Therefore, the corruption does not allow the female slaves to find their way to freedom. Furthermore, the skewed mindset influenced by slavery leads to …show more content…
However, many slaves often become separated from their own families. This leads to the lost of emotional support that is needed for human development. Family members begin to lose a sense of connection due to the separation, which results in not having the will to fight for their liberation. For example, while Linda overhears that Mr. Dodge “said his wife had never signed her right to [Linda’s] right to [her children], and that he could not get [her], he would take them”(Jacobs 928) According to Li, maternal instincts have an innate attachment, meaning that mothers are attached to their own children to the point that they would do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Through her maternal instincts, Linda overcomes the authority of the slave owner to free her children. In conclusion, corruption, unjust slave laws, and the lack of family support from slavery conflicted with the rights of female slaves. The corrupted minds of slave owners cause the creation of unjust slave laws. Through the slave laws, slaves, especially females were restricted from gaining their own freedom. They could not exercise their own rights. With the separation of families in slavery, many slaves felt hopeless that they could not be with their families. Luckily, Jacobs overcomes the obstacles of slavery, thus becoming a free person and an