Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Property

Introduction

Linda Brent (Harriet Jacobs) is the author of the book and she introduces the trial and tribulations which she experiences in the slavery land. Jacobs was born in 1831 in North Carolina. She lives with her both parents but later her mother dies and she is raised by maternal grandmother who later dies. At the age of 11, she is introduced to Dr. James Narcom (Dr. Flint) who is an inhumane monsters and a character who introduces the theme of sexual exploitation in the whole life of Jacobs. The latter presents her life experiences in America and how she struggles to free herself from slavery. Slaves are used as properties by the White men, and her first incidence of sexual exploitation is seen when she is sold to a White Lawyer named Sawyer whom they form sexual affairs and bears two children. In her point of view, Jacobs shows how the African-American women in South are struggling to free themselves from slavery and move to the North where they can live an independent life.  In American slavery, Jacobs’ experience of slavery represents how Africa American women are used as sexual objects by White men and their struggle for liberty and equal opportunity.

 

 Jacobs lives under the male dominion of sexual control and she uncovers the experiences she meets in life as a property and sexual objects. She  attempts several times to run away from lascivious clutches,  as she clearly understand  that   women are pious and submissive but White men are violating the rights by disconnecting them with their families and making them  sexual objects. Jacobs asserts that slaveholders such as Dr. Flint acts against the moral law and fails to acknowledge humanity when inflicting torture to women. She goes and states that “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women….. (Jacobs, 119). Women face hardships than men in that they are used as profitable properties through sexual harassment. The author makes it clear that even though enslaved men are able to endure   horror and rough treatment, women hearts are left with resentment and anguish when they see their children struggling with slavery. Women face a terrible situation with harsh punishments and insulting treatment from slaveholders’ wives. Their children are considered as slaves and their bodies are not theirs but rather they are master’s property. They experience pain and dreadful conditions as they are forced to get unwanted pregnancies and the appalling thing is that they are not enjoying the motherhood right (Jacobs, 60). The novel relates the incidents with the economics of slavery which was based on the idea that male were valued for their physical strength while female were referred as important  with respect to the number of offspring. Women have physical and emotional suffering while trying to gain self-definition, self-expression and self-assertion. Jacobs presents the African women of South who are denied the right to cater for their families. African-women are struggling for their female gender as well as community and family freedom (Jacobs, 48).

 

The author reveals the unrealistic standards on feminist gender in the American slavery era. African American women are suffering from sexual exploitation, denial of motherhood rights and racial subjugation. Focusing on her own narrative, Jacobs as a ‘slave girl’ is struggling to find ways which she can end slavery in the North (Jacobs, 44). Jacobs’s tries to show the White women White mistress have enslaved them as well as their children and so it is important for them to start the Abolitionist movement. Fitzhugh supports the idea and memorizes that slaveholders have extracted happiness from their lives. The author fights for freedom and convinces women the importance of ending slavery as well as sexual harassment. Jacobs’s plans to escape from slavery are portrayed in various instances. For example, during the ‘hiring day’ Jacobs tries to run away from her uncle’s house and when Dr Flint notices her attempt, he punishes her through sexual harassment (Jacobs, 44). Jacobs later meets a black man who plans to marry her but she refuses, and this leads to cruel punishment from Dr. Flint for rejecting the marriage.  The author assert that “when he told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command…nothing but a slave…” pg (Jacobs,29). Dr Flint has a complete authority over her life and she exists as a slave in his house. At this point, Jacobs accepts their immoral and illegal acts and believes that    she has undeveloped personalities and slaveholders will not have final control of her life.

 

African American women are suffering from psychological abuse from White men while attempting to gain sexual identity. The entire novel portrays a vivid picture of Black feminism which is bounded by class oppression, racism and sexism. Jacobs, from her young age has tried to fight with slavery in order achieve her social identity and freedom. Similarly, African American women suffer from discrimination from ‘white feminist’ and the racial division is diminishing their strength in develop their social movement (Jacobs, 12). Black women in particular are denied their rights and they do not get the opportunity to express their views in their homes or in the community. They are subjected to verbal abuse which the legal discourse overlooks the matter (Jacobs, 46). In the novel, there is no law to protect the slave girl or do deliver her from sexual harassment. Slaveholders have placed unbroken rule of silence which all slaves should follow. The author asserts that “Dr. Flint swore he would kill me, if I was not as silent as the grave” (Jacobs, 46). This means that African American women live under the dominion of White men and they are relatively powerless as supposed to keep silent.

 

African American women face social, ethical and economy difficulties.  In America, there is different in structure of power between Black and white women. Black women need recognition and self identity, and as Jacobs becomes interested with abolitionist movement, Black women follows their civil right movement to eliminate racism and sexism (Jacobs, 42). They have encountered many incidents of discrimination such as racial segregation where public facilities such education are provided to White women while African American women remain illiterate. In addition, they are suffering in exploitation of economy in that they work as slaves in South with no gain. Since they are the slaveholders’ properties, then they are not supposed to hold any property (Jacobs, 46). During slavery, women suffer from depression as they are used as sexual tools by men and also they are disconnected from their families. They are unable to speak as there is not law which can free them from slavery.

Conclusion

            Then novel portrays a vivid image of African American women through the slavery experience of Jacobs. African American women are under male-chauvinist and White-supremacy. They are regarded as sexual properties to satisfy the need of men. Jacobs shows that women are denied their rights and they live under the dominion of slaveholders. They are forced to bear children and they do not enjoy their motherhood. They experience physical brutality, endure the unendurable and suffer the insufferable. Jacobs’s struggles in all mean to free from slavery though many of her attempts leads to cruel punishment and sexual harassment from White men and women. Similarly, African American women start the feminist movement to end slavery and to gain identity as well as their rights in the American society.

 

Work cited

Jacobs, Harriet A. (Harriet Ann), 1813-1897. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.