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Slave Girl Incidents

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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 1.Life for a lot of slave women was that of one filled with agony and misery these women had a rough life from the moment they were, a lot of these women learned to grow up quickly and where forced to become women by their masters at an early age experiencing sexual abuse, which caused a lot of tension between them and their mistresses as well. These women were seen as a property belonging to the masters and the women where to obey any demand by their master and Women slaves were not allowed to love freely and chose their husband, they were most often punished at the mere thought out trying to marry someone who wasn’t a slave or wasn’t chosen by their masters. It was a never-ending cycle for these women …show more content…

Harriet Jacobs Grandmother had a good mistress who treated her well and promised to give her freedom upon her death, but when her mistress passed away her sister stepped in and took it upon herself to put her up for auction even though it was left in her will and was deprived of her freedom as she had been promised. Her grandmother was also owed money that was borrowed by her mistress which was never repaid to her, money that she so early saved working very hard to be able to buy her children. Slaves were not allowed to take them to court. Harriet and other slaves were not allowed to learn this was greatly frowned upon and if they were found trying to read or write most often would be punished. Although sometimes in rare occasions owners took advantage of this and saw it as a benefit for their slaves to learn. If a slave dare to escape, they were usually looked for until captured and brought back to face their punishment sometimes this meant being beaten in front of a crowd of other slave owners, put in jail or sometimes even put up for sale again. Slaves families where often separated when sold unless they were the lucky few to be bough together. Slaves were treated very unjustly and where even denied any leftovers that where cooked by them. Their masters would go out of their way to purposely sabotage perfectly good food or bread to avoid being eaten by their slaves. Often bread or certain foods where even counted to avoid being eaten by them as well. If their owners disliked a meal prepared they were forced to eat It all or it was shoved down their throat as punishment. If they were lucky they got a meal for Christmas and for New Year’s where often put up for sale to new owners. Through all of this Harriet watched her loved ones suffer a great deal. Her brother constantly trying to escape for freedom and being put in prison in horrible

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Mary Rowlandson and Harriet Jacobs both penned a narrative of their time spent in captivity. Though they were born nearly two centuries apart, their imprisonment shared commonalities. The most prevalent common factor between the two narratives is that both autobiographies relate the story of an enslaved mother powerless to come to the aide of her children. Rowlandson bemoans that her “poor wounded child” died in excruciating pain, she was deprived of visiting with her eldest daughter and her son’s location was not disclosed to her (Rowlandson 176-77). Jacobs was dealt a regrettable lot, as well.

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This proof of masculinity seems to be a more male-dominated slave experience, although women were also stripped of their individuality and autonomy. Much like their masculine counterparts, women were subject to cruel and unjust behavior. Although, they had an additional vulnerability in which men typically did not

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She had lived her first years as happy child, but when her mother died, Harriet Jacobs was sent to her mother’s master, Margaret Hornblow, who taught her to read, write, and sew. Harriet’s master Margaret, had always shown love and affection to Harriet, which she did not realize her life as a born slave girl. In the year 1825, Harriet’s master Margaret had passed

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Being born into slavery in 1822, Harriet had to overcome many obstacles at a young age. At the early age of five, Harriett was forced to become a full-time caretaker for a baby. She took over the role of a mother, even having to stay up around the clock to ensure the child’s actual mother was not woken by the child’s crying. If she failed to console the child immediately, she was punished by physical means, leaving

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When she was younger the slave-overseer threw a brick at her head; causing permanent brain damage. Harriet was fortunate she did not die from this incident. Harriet’s husband, John Tubman, left her for two months. Harriet was left to work her land alone, which is difficult to farm a large area all by yourself. When John does return, he claims he “borrows” Harriet’s money to place for his own freedom.

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Harriet Tubman said: “The weight broke my skull and cut a piece of that shawl clean off and drove it into my skull. They carried me in the house all bleeding and fainting. I had no bed, no place to lie down on, and they laid me on the seat of the loom, and I stayed there all day and the next”.-Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman's family was allowed to hunt and fish for their own food. Most slave families were not allowed to hunt for their own food.

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In the novel titled, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs, wanted to write about her experiences as a slave and how she managed to escape from slavery. This novel can be entitled to many themes, but the theme that touched me the most was about all the slave women and how they were treated. I think that Jacobs emphasized how for slave women the situation was the worst because they were always viewed as sex objects. I believe that Harriet Jacobs thought that women were expected to obey their masters all the time and had so much responsibilities to do. Jacobs gave reference to all of this by providing her life events; for example when Dr. Flint told her, “you deserve it… to be under such treatment… forget the meaning of the word peace.”

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Her 8 siblings were separated no matter how hard she tried to keep the family together but at such an early age she only had the power to do so much. When Harriet Was around 5 years old, she was bought out for a Nursemaid. As a childcare helper at such a youthful age she was not only mentally and emotionally but physically scarred because when a baby cried or when she did something a higher established person did not approve of, she was beaten. At the age seven she was bought to be a Field hand and later said she preferred to do chores for others then to work out on the field. At 12, her desire for justice grew bigger as she risked protecting other slaves she worked with. "

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She was born into slavery and started working the fields at age twelve. Her family, mother, father and nine siblings, and herself were owned by Anthony Thompson. Early in Harriet’s life her three sisters were sold to distant

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She was heavily abused by the child’s mother. Harriet had to stay up at night so the baby wouldn’t cry and wake the mother. If she fell asleep, the mother would whip her. When harriet was asked to help in the beating of another slave and she refused, she would be beat. Once when another slave went out to the market without permission, his owner asked harriet to help beat him.

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In the beginning of Harriet’s life, she was exposed to the harsh realities and injustices slaves endured. She learned first hand the

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In addition to this type of treatment, female slaves endured even more. They’d suffer from rape at the hands of their masters which further demeaned them as they were forced to carry and then birth the children of their masters who would then immediately sell their own children into the slave market. Lisa from “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” was perpetually being threatened by her master, Dr.Flint, as he kept trying to get her alone so he could try to rape her which created lots of substantial tension between the two. He’d verbally degraded her whenever he failed to get what he wanted from her. (Jacobs, 1860,

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One was they sold children away from their parents. I think that is very wrong, a child shouldn’t be taken away from their family. A lot of slaveholders kept their slaves chained up, they would do this so the slaves couldn’t run away or misbehave. The majority of slaveholders beat their slaves, even children. They would beat them

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Still, in looking back, calmly, on the events of my life, I feel that the slave woman ought not to be judged by the same standard as others” (Incidents,

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