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Harriet Jacobs Incident In The Life Of A Slave Girl

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The story by Harriet Jacobs “Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl” was a poignant commemoration of history that many choose to forget. I do see the authenticity of her story and think in some aspects she had it better than other slaves because she lived to tell her story. However incredible it may seem, I believe the worst still was not told. Jacobs’s character can be defined as intelligent, self-determining, persevering, innate self-worth, clever, devoted, and a realist to name a few. She stated in the opening paragraph, though she and her family unit were all slaves, not until age six did she become aware of being a slave, She reminisced of an intelligent, loving father who worked as a carpenter and wanted to purchase his children, together with a happy childhood and a family home unit; she had a solid foundation. She also …show more content…

She was hell bent to be the captain of her own body, if not her destiny. Suffering many of degradations by the Flint’s she made a bold stance when taking on Sands as a lover; that was her way of having control of something within her dejected life. By taking autonomy of her body, she was proclaiming to Flint, he may own her like chattel but she owned her sexuality. Although, not a free person, she was free in spirit or free in her will; which she demonstrated time and time again by the choices she made. Harriet was truly an exception to the rule of slavery, she stated that she was not beaten or tortured as most slaves, but her mental and spiritual anguish she related to her experiences and the dehumanizing reality of slavery she exposed. She stated in one passage, how a slave did not have any protection and was thought to lower than an animal; as she mentioned, to have pity on her because one would not understand what it is like not to be protected by law or custom, and to be reduced to chattel and be imperiled to the will of

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