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

In her narrative “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” Harriet Jacobs expresses the experience of female slaves must endure from their masters.Jacobs is in constant fear of her current master which leads to her inevitable escape from his clutches.Dr. Flint is in a continuous search for Jacobs while she is on the run and uses her beloved family against her. He puts Jacobs in a constant struggle and mental deterioration over the course of his life.Dr.Flint’s endless search for Jacob, the burning desire of affection toward her and the pain Jacobs has to endure is what separates Dr.Flint from the rest of the antagonists. In the narrative Jacob expresses the hardships that female slaves or any slaves must go through.Dr.Flint continues this

Jacobs lived in constant fear of Dr.Flint from that moment forward. Jacobs expressed that “he told me that I was his property:and that I had to be subject to his will at all times”(436).Jacobs felt a sense of hopeless by asking ”where can I turn for protection”(436) creating a further dominice Dr.Flint had on his slaves that other antagonist lacked. The burning passion that had grown had turned Mrs.Flint against Jacobs adding on to Dr.Flint's passion.After Ms.Flint requested Jacobs to be sold Dr.Flint responded “that Jacobs was his daughter's property not his, so he couldn't sell Jacobs”(444).This contradicts Dr.Flint's previous statement toward Jacobs by telling her that she was her property while explaining to his wife that she was her daughter's property allowing him to keep her. Dr.Flint expressed an increase in affection toward Jacobs then his own wife showing his desire is greater than his own wife. Dr.Flint doing this puts his desire toward his slave above the other