Slavery Reflected By Harriet Jacobs Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

Slavery is the story of African Americans slaves enduring oppression and bondage. In addition, it is also the story of abolitionists who risk their lives to tell the tale of African American slaves and expose the truth of what slavery has done in America. As a result, these stories give their future children hope from what they experience during those oppressive times. However, telling these stories impacts people when the authors go through the struggles, expressing their reaction and experience during those struggles. For example, Harriet Jacobs’ “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” is a perfect response to slavery. She narrates through the perspective of Linda but speaks plainly about what her life was like during slavery. In response

She gives an example of what forgiveness looks like. At first, her grandmother forsakes her after the news about Linda’s pregnancy. Her grandmother said to Jacobs, “You are disgrace to your dead mother.” As she says this, her grandmother takes off the wedding from Jacobs’ fingers, which her mother gives her. This shows a symbol of the disgrace Jacobs inflicts on her dead mother. In addition, her grandmother orders Jacobs to leave her presence, unable to look at Jacobs the same way again (Jacobs 829). Jacobs endures shame and disgrace from her grandmother, the one she loves. Despite this nasty conflict, her grandmother grants Linda mercy by comforting her. Jacobs learns about forgiveness when she becomes a free woman. Just as her grandmother forgives her, Jacobs discovers that her grandmother forgives Dr. Flint in a letter. She describes her grandmother’s response: “I thought to myself that she was a better Christian than I was, if she could entirely forgive him” (Jacobs 835). Jacobs knows she cannot forgive Dr. Flint; however, her grandmother’s forgiveness to Dr. Flint is similar to how she forgives Jacobs. Though her grandmother knows they both make bad decisions, but it never stops her from loving them with grace. This creates a Christian model of forgiveness, knowing that the victim cannot forget what the victimizer does to her; however, the victim responses with mercy on the victimizer, helping Jacobs move on to better