Summary Of Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs

In the autobiography, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Harriet Jacobs is able to tell her story and show the pain of bondage she endured. Jacobs lived from 1813-1897, and all she ever knew was the life of a slave. It is her story, even though she uses a pseudonym, Linda Brent, in order to protect her identity. Her real name is later discovered by scholars, and she is then given the credit for her writing. The book was published in 1861, after fleeing north to New York. Knowing that in this time in history that not even white women were respected on the same level as men, how much greater then were women of color disrespected? Though she used a fake name—she still identified as an African American woman, which proves that not just any book would be published at the time if it were not of some truth. Jacobs’ life, a life of physical slavery, shows the parallels to the bondage humans have in

She “was born a slave, but never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away,” (Jacobs 8). Her family’s past became her future. Jacob’s father was a skilled carpenter, but still under the control of his mistress; however, his greatest desire was to “purchase his children,” (8). This too would be the life she was handed, and not recognized until later on in her childhood. Likewise, humans in general are born into slavery. Because of the fall account in Genesis 3 between Adam and Eve, the rest of humanity is affected. Sin entered the world, and everyone born after that was subject to this master, sin. Humans are born into this bondage of sin over their lives, before they can even identify that they are in captivity. Jacobs had no idea until she was six years old what her life actually consisted of. Later, when she is under the control of her mistress, she desires nothing more than the home for her children. Just like her father, The Father wants to buy His children back too, and He does just