Analysis Of Harriet Ann Jacobs Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

Harriet Ann Jacob's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is an autobiography by Jacobs that describes her life under the pseudonym Linda Brent, in which she describes her journey from slavery to being a free woman. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was first published in 1861 during the Civil War and explained the painful experiences she had to undergo as an enslaved person. Jacobs had to undergo countless hardships during her duration enslaved to become free. Jacobs' autobiography is an important book that brings to light the first-person experiences that resulted from slavery and the risks enslaved people such as Jacobs put themselves through to escape and become free. Throughout Jacobs' incidents in Incidents in the Life of a Slave

One of the most recurring themes in Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the brutal and harrowing nature of slavery. Jacobs describes the different forms of abuse she experienced and witnessed throughout the book while enslaved. A significant example of the cruel nature of slavery portrayed in the autobiography comes from the incident that James experienced. Jacobs describes how "little boy, James, was sold to a good sort of master. He became involved in debt, and James was sold again to a wealthy slaveholder, noted for his cruelty. With this man he grew up to manhood, receiving the treatment of a dog" (Jacobs 75). James' contrast between the two slave masters shows to be very disturbing since it mentions the steep distinction between the enslavers' personalities. While the first master that James had was a 'good sort of master,' James' second master was the polar opposite in that he treated James like an animal and abused him severely. This quote also shows how scarce it was to see enslavers treat enslaved people correctly. The enslavers manipulated the enslaved people so much that the most minuscule of compassion would make the

Although freedom is a term that can have a different meaning from one person to the next, Jacobs' primary definition of freedom is to escape being enslaved and captive. An excellent example of Jacobs' strive towards freedom occurs when Jacobs decides to escape from slavery for a free life due to her new role as a mother. Jacobs writes in the passage, "In order to protect my children, it was necessary that I should own myself" (Jacobs 253). This quote shows to be very profound and shows how selfless Jacobs has become after becoming a new mother. Jacobs wants to ensure that her children live free lives, and to do so, Jacobs herself has to be free. This quote shows that Jacobs is willing to bear the risks of escaping, becoming a fugitive, and potentially even dying to prioritize her children's safety and security. Although Jacobs' personal desire to escape captivity is evident, Jacobs' reasons behind wanting to escape develop and change throughout the book, with her reasons becoming more for others than for herself as she matures. With freedom being such a reoccurring theme in this book, it becomes evident that Jacobs had many different reasons to strive toward becoming a free person for herself and her family. As Jacobs' experiences of both slavery and motherhood evolved, her