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

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the autobiographical account about a young woman name Harriet Brent Jacobs. It talks about her life in slavery and her daring escape. Young Harriet, who assumes the name of Linda Brent, was born in Edenton, North Carolina to a “kind” mistress who taught her how to read, write and sew. When Linda’s mistress died, she was willed to the mistress’ young niece. Soon after her father also dies. Her grandmother and brother become the bright spots in her otherwise tremulous life in the Flint Household. She is constantly sexually harassed by Dr. Flint. Whereas, she did not know she was a slave in her young childhood, she is frequently reminded of her status every time Dr. Flints tries to get her to submit to …show more content…
One of the most heartbreaking social relationship is that of the slave family. The institution of slavery tried very hard to damage most familial ties. Every News Years in Edenton, North Carolina was a sad time for the slave mothers because their children were often sold off to new plantations. That new plantation was not often one in which the mother could walk to see her children. Many times a slave family would lose at least one member of their family. Another reason family members might be sold is if it got out that a slave master fathered one of his slaves. “If God has bestowed beauty upon her, it will prove her greatest curse. That which commands admiration in the white woman only hastens the degradation of the female slave.” Most of the time the slave master would incessantly pursue his women slaves for profit or lust, and father children by her. Sometimes the slave thought that by giving in and having the baby she would be treated better. This was often not the case because it brought about a jealous and vengeful mistress, which would often lead to the slave women and child suffering and eventually being sold. Jacobs had seen this pattern happen many times and was determined that it would not happen to her. She decided to sleep to choose who she sleep with. She chose Mr. Sand. When he eventually did her wrong by essentially giving …show more content…
“It makes the white fathers cruel and sensual: the sons violent and licentious; it contaminates the daughter, and makes the wives wretched. In a way it still effects the white family through denial. The slaves that are able to work were not able to spend as much time with their children. There children were often looked after by an older person. In Linda’s case her children were looked after by her grandmother. In black families, a grandparent or another older person in the community is often called on to look after children while parents are away working. Sometimes they are called to permanently take care of the children. One social condition that helped to keep the slaves in bondage was the denial of education. It was illegal to teach a slave how to read. The concentration of minorities in areas with poor school systems is still a tool used to keep the African Americans mind in