Harriet Jacob’s Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl portrays her struggles as being a slave to a vile, abusive master, and the horrors she endured from it. Jacob’s courage and faith aided in her escape, and ultimately led her to liberty and freedom after being in hiding for seven years. Jacob’s describes that slavery “is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible” (Jacobs 66). This is because of certain challenges they faced. Enslaved women were overworked because they ran the house. These women were looked upon as being inferior to the male slaves, and treated as such. They were made mothers by their masters, and offered no protection for the fate of their children.
Not only were enslaved women maids of the house, they also took care …show more content…
This being said, masters would predominantly take advantage of these women. From a young age, they are stripped of their childhood. “The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear. The lash and the foul talk of her master and his sons are her teachers” (Jacobs 45). As Jacobs illustrates in her memoir, many girls are sexually assaulted by their masters. This occurred when Jacob’s was fifteen. “My master began to whisper foul words in my ear (Jacobs 26). Not only were enslaved women used as maids, they were used for other purposes by the masters means. “He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such as only a vile monster could think of” (Jacobs 26). These masters did not care about what mental and physical scarring they were doing to these enslaved women, because they were seen as property so they were to do with them as they pleased. “Women are considered of no value, unless they continually increase their owner’s stock” (Jacobs 44). Being born an African American during this time was hard, but was increasingly harder if you were a women. Jacobs outlined these struggles especially when the enslaved woman was impregnated by her …show more content…
“My master was, to my knowledge, the father of eleven slaves. But did the mothers dare to tell who was the father of their children? No, indeed! They knew too well the terrible consequences” (Jacobs 32). How terrible it was that enslaved women became mothers from the man that they despised the most. Most masters after finding out they are fathers to these children, have them separated from their mother and sold immediately. “She had a second child by her master, and then he sold her and his offspring to his brother. She bore two children to the brother, and was sold again” (Jacobs 45). This was a big cycle because the children were only seen as property. Not only was this troubling for the slave woman because she did not have a suitable father for her children, but also because of of the treatment she received from the master 's wife, or her
Not only were enslaved women maids of the house, they also took care …show more content…
This being said, masters would predominantly take advantage of these women. From a young age, they are stripped of their childhood. “The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear. The lash and the foul talk of her master and his sons are her teachers” (Jacobs 45). As Jacobs illustrates in her memoir, many girls are sexually assaulted by their masters. This occurred when Jacob’s was fifteen. “My master began to whisper foul words in my ear (Jacobs 26). Not only were enslaved women used as maids, they were used for other purposes by the masters means. “He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such as only a vile monster could think of” (Jacobs 26). These masters did not care about what mental and physical scarring they were doing to these enslaved women, because they were seen as property so they were to do with them as they pleased. “Women are considered of no value, unless they continually increase their owner’s stock” (Jacobs 44). Being born an African American during this time was hard, but was increasingly harder if you were a women. Jacobs outlined these struggles especially when the enslaved woman was impregnated by her …show more content…
“My master was, to my knowledge, the father of eleven slaves. But did the mothers dare to tell who was the father of their children? No, indeed! They knew too well the terrible consequences” (Jacobs 32). How terrible it was that enslaved women became mothers from the man that they despised the most. Most masters after finding out they are fathers to these children, have them separated from their mother and sold immediately. “She had a second child by her master, and then he sold her and his offspring to his brother. She bore two children to the brother, and was sold again” (Jacobs 45). This was a big cycle because the children were only seen as property. Not only was this troubling for the slave woman because she did not have a suitable father for her children, but also because of of the treatment she received from the master 's wife, or her