Slaves Journey To Freedom Essay

For over hundreds of years, slavery has been one of the most controversial subjects discussed in history. Society is still taught about the wonders of the phenomenon because of the major impact it has had on the world. Symbolic, historical figures such as Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, Phillis Wheatley, Harriet Jacobs, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Louisa May Alcott have shared their personal accounts on bondage with the world in their own way. These six figures have written their own pieces of literature, so that people can understand the life of enslavement through persecution to freedom. Furthermore, slave narratives or literature opposes to slavery in a multitude of ways based on that slave’s own journey to freedom. Harriet Jacobs and

Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself and Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl discusses how slavery dehumanizes and breaks down an individual to no worth. Douglass’ and Jacobs’ accounts are similar because they lecture against slavery with the work and obstacles they went through. Jacobs says, “For years, my master had done his utmost to pollute my mind with foul images, and to destroy the pure principles inculcated by my grandmother, and the good mistress of my childhood. The influences of slavery had the same effect on me that they had on other young girls; they had made me prematurely knowing, concerning the evil ways of the world.” (827) Jacobs explains that slavery has attempted to take a toll on her life with its physical, emotional, and mental abuse. Women in slavery were mistreated sexually as well, and in this case, Jacobs faced sexual oppression at a young age. Dr. Flint used these advances such as rape and beatings, to dehumanize Jacob in every way possible. Slavery’s motive was to break down Harriet Jacobs’ humanity and perseverance by corrupting her mind and destroying every piece of hope she encountered through slavery’s