Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are two well-known authors in American literature who have spoken out against slavery's atrocities and the fight for freedom. Both of them were subjected to slavery in the 19th century in the United States, and they utilized their literature to share their stories with other people. Despite the fact that they both experienced persecution in a similar way, their stories diverged significantly, especially when it came to gender. In order to determine if Jacobs and Douglass experienced and depicted the same kind of freedom, this essay will examine the various ways that gender influenced their experiences and writing styles. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs both went through the horrors of slavery, but due to their gender, their experiences were drastically different. Jacobs' experience of slavery was distinct because she was a woman and her owner sexually exploited her. She was compelled to have children by her owner, and having to worry about the wellbeing of her offspring added to her hardships. Douglass, a man, on the other hand, endured physical assault and toil. Despite these distinctions, they both encountered the degrading impacts of slavery, which they …show more content…
Douglass' biography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," is less intimate and emotionally raw than Jacobs' biography, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl." While Douglass' story is more political and concentrates on the bigger themes of slavery and freedom, Jacobs' story is told in a more conversational style and concentrates on the personal elements of her life. This stylistic variation reflects the varied backgrounds of these authors and the audiences they were writing for. Douglass' tale was intended for a wider audience, including abolitionists and politicians, whereas Jacobs' was targeted at white women, who were more likely to identify with her