Harriet Ann Jacobs wrote Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (under the pseudonym Linda Brent) to raise awareness about the experience of black women under slavery. Calling attention especially to the sexual abuse they faced, she hoped to shock average Americans into acknowledging the immortality and cruelty of the system. Even though it often reads like a novel, with the Flint slaveowners coming across as almost cartoonishly evil, it depicts the awful reality of life under total domination. It's easy to congratulate ourselves for moving beyond slavery, but in what new forms do the racism, sexism, overpowering and violence we see in this story persist today? What is the value of reading a book like Incidents in the modern era? And how does it intersect with and inform our reading of the other novels in our summer reading assignment? Post your thoughts below by clicking comment!
22 Comments
Ann Palma
8/22/2013 10:14:26 pm
Throughout the novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs, the protagonist, Linda, is subjected to abuse on many accounts from her superiors. Dr. Flint and his family are consistently disturbing her purity by whispering vile language into her ears and threatening to whip her. However, even when Linda reaches freedom in the North, she still faces the same struggles as back home. While traveling to Albany on a steamboat with the Bruces, Linda enters the dining hall for afternoon tea. Before she had a chance to take her seat, a colored man exclaimed to her, "Get up! You know you are not allowed to sit here," (180). Additionally, during her stay at the Pavilion Hotel in Rockaway, Mr. Bruce was forced to order meals to be sent to his room for Linda and his daughter, Mary. The waiters refused to bring the meals to the room because they argued they weren't hired to wait on African Americans. Not only that, Linda faces the fear of having her freedom be taken away and being captured due to the Flints making several voyages up north to find her.
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Jazmin Graham
9/2/2013 02:15:51 pm
I forgot all about the incident in Iowa. It's so sad that she was fired because of her physical beauty. I think her co workers should have been capable of controlling themselves around an attractive woman.
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Anya Carney
9/3/2013 08:09:25 am
Wow! I've never heard about the incident in Iowa, but I find it really shocking! It really intrigues me how someone could fire another person for that type of reason. If anything, the woman's boss should have removed himself from his job. In no way are his feelings about her looks her fault! Crazy!
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Jazmin Graham
9/2/2013 01:42:05 pm
Granted, America has come along way since slavery, we still have a long way to go. Racism, sexism, overpowering, and violence are four main problems that have always been prominent in our society. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs shows the life of a young slave woman who suffers the effects of racism, sexism, overpowering, and violence. Linda discovers that she is not allowed to teach other slaves how to read and write because their slave masters will be highly upset. The slave masters feared that their slaves will become more knowledgeable and powerful if they are educated. In the modern era, some say say that College tuition has increased greatly, causing the rich to be more likely to attend college and making it harder for minorities to afford tuition and harder for them to be qualified for positions of leadership. It's apparent that the race of students enrolling into college is a factor in the decision to increase college tuition. Next, Linda realizes that the slave women were mostly used to give birth, cook, and clean.The moment they become infertile or disabled, they are deemed useless by their master. In today’s world, a great deal of men believe this preconception that women are placed on earth to cook and clean and have babies. Linda also experiences violence and overpowering when her slave master beats her and makes her feel worthless. Similar to today's bullies who can harm you physically or mentally through social media. In the story, Flint constantly taunts, abuses, and reminds Linda that she (and her children) are all his property. He never realizes his actions completely destroy Linda mentally and cause her to risk her life in order to save her children from slavery because he has never experienced slavery himself. People in the modern era can benefit from books like Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl because these books show a direct insight on the thoughts of the victim. If people understand how the victim feels, how actions can affect others mentally, and potentially affect their family and friends, then people will be hesitant next time they decide to hurt someone else. Linda constantly tries to run away from Flint throughout the story. Luckily, at the end of the story she got away and gained her freedom. Linda’s struggle for freedom reminds me of the patients endeavors to be released from Ms.Ratched’s control in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Linda’s struggle to escape also reminds me of Guy Montag’s struggle to escape the Government.
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Ann Palma
9/6/2013 03:25:35 am
Going to how you said the rich are more likely to attend college, logically that would be correct. However, when it comes to scholarships and financial aid, a minority kid is more likely to be granted merit than a middle-class kid, making it harder to pay for college for someone in the middle class than a minority. If 2 kids were applying to the same college and had the same GPA but one was in the middle class and one was a minority, the minority would receive more financial aid money than the middle class kid. College for the middle class is at the point where they somewhat can afford to go, but don't receive the financial aid needed because all the scholarship merit is going to the minorities. All things regarded, middle class kids have the toughest time paying for college, in my opinion.
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Hannah Sauer
9/6/2013 09:30:40 am
I completely agree with your comparison to Linda's struggle and Montag's struggle. Linda is trying to escape discrimination and oppression from society while Montag is trying to escape the ignorant and illiterate society in which he lives. Both characters struggle to fight for what they believe in. The people around Linda and Montag are so set in their ways that they don't take into consideration the hurt and pain they're causing others.
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Emma Craven
9/7/2013 09:23:39 am
Jazz, I totally agree with you and love the comparisons you made to the other two books. I also find the three main characters alike as well. They all struggle with freedom, like you said. All three books really show the reader how struggling for freedom is always the worst part of the journey. Once the struggle is over, freedom is like winning the lottery or the Grand Prize at a contest. Once you win, you don't have to struggle anymore. And all three characters definitely won the lottery, I think.
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Mr. Biggs
9/16/2013 07:25:18 am
Great post!
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Sean Provost
9/18/2013 11:14:07 am
In Fahrenheit 451 everything is more technologically advanced in every way possible. Man- Kind has continuously stayed on one path to the future by all ways demanding faster and better technology, every time we get a new innovation, we still want more. We humans think that we need things such as quicker computers, quicker connections to the internet, better cell phone connections, pagers, cars with more power, voice mail, palm pilots, etc. because people don't want to waste time anymore. Therefore the society in Fahrenheit 451 is very similar to ours. Clarisse and Montag notice how fast drivers go that they “don't know what grass is, or flowers because they never see them slowly,' she said. ’If you showed a driver a green blur, Oh yes! he’d say, that's grass! A pink blur! That's a rose garden! White blurs are houses. Brown blurs are cows. My uncle drove slowly on a highway once. He drove forty miles an hour and they jailed him for two days.'" This sentence shows the reader how quick humans want to be, being “slow” is not acceptable in Fahrenheit 451. Thinking about this more and going deeper into the idea made me wonder, how fast and advanced can we get until we are satisfied?
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Anya Carney
9/3/2013 08:04:48 am
As also stated above, the types of racism, sexism, overpowering, and violence that were shown in Incidents of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs, differ from what we see today. A more modern form of racism, could be how after the tragedies on September 11, 2001, many Middle Eastern men and women were unjustly targeted by the way they looked; especially in airports and on aircrafts. Throughout Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, the protagonist Linda, faced many types of verbal and physical violence. Today, many woman face what we call "domestic violence". Domestic violence is the physical abuse of one spouse to another, more commonly a husband to his wife. I believe that the author is trying to shock modern-day Americans and force them to realize the cruelty that African-American slaves faced. Linda, dealt with abuse, social injustice, etc. Finally, as Jazmin also stated, Linda's fight for freedom is similar to Guy Montag's struggle against the government in Farenheit 451.
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Hannah Christensen
9/5/2013 06:20:40 am
Anya, I like how you realize that Incidents of a Slave Girl was written to illustrate slavery, but more importantly, to see the racism, sexism, violence etc in the modern world. Like the examples you explained (9/11 & the Middle Easterns and domestic violence) a similar issue that came to mind was rape culture. Hearing stories about rape is considered normal now and rapists are rarely caught and/or punished. Instead, women are shamed by being told it is their fault and they "were asking for it." In my opinion, even if a woman was walking around with no clothes, that still doesn't give a man an excuse to rape her. Women are constantly told not to wear certain things or go certain places to avoid this, however men are never told not to rape women. Rape culture is an extremely different issue from slavery, but somehow I see a similarity in the idea that rape victims, like slavery victims must fight for their freedom and overcome something terrible (like verbal and physical abuse -- similar to domestic violence). As much as we would like to believe that these terrible things like slavery don't exist, Harriet Ann Jacobs reminds us that they still do.
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Ann Palma
9/6/2013 12:51:10 am
Adding onto what Hannah said, they say that women are asking to be raped by wearing revealing clothing in public. To avoid being abused and invaded, women should dress more moderately. However, who is to tell anyone what they can and cannot wear. Women, just like men, have the freedom to dress themselves however they please, and whose to take that away from them. Men should be able to control themselves rather than blaming their wrong-doings on women for having the freedom to dress themselves in whatever they please. It isn't right for women to not be able to wear whatever they want, a right men also obtain, just because some people can't take responsibility for their actions and decisions. Women should not be forbidden of this freedom. Similarly, in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, all of Linda's freedoms she rightfully deserves are taken away from her for the unjust reason of the color of her complexion.
Brandon Alvaro
9/4/2013 04:02:37 am
The novel Incidents of a Slave Girl, written by Hariet Ann Jacobs, depicts how a common young girl or woman was treated becuase of the complexion of thier skin, that any colored man or woman was considered "property", if not free, to any wealthy educated white man who owned land, wheather in the North or South states. Many people of our day and age are blind to what went on below the southern border, that slavery was not just colored peole put to work with no wages. It was more than that. The cruelty that most slaveholders put their slaves through was exposed on part of this book. The author, Harriet Ann Jacobs, disguised as Linda Brent to protect herself and the ones who helped her at the time, was one of thousands of cases who did not turn out so lucky like she did. But her dedication and longing for freedom led her to meet the right people to help her escape the demon Slavery, as she referred to it. She often wished for her death, and also her children's, for she thought it would be much better, and the only escape, from her satan-like master Dr. Flint, who tried to put her and the rest of her family throough misery by cheating them out of freedom. Poeple can read this story and not think much of the events that happened, but most of the readers were not slaves, and have no idea how hard it can be to make it that far in life. It is so easy to just shake off what has happened in the past as just a mishap of America, but what most people dont realize is they have not gotten rid the racism and prejudice that Americans had back then. The prejudice against colored Americans is not so much expressed today, but now foreighn countries and religions are being singled out. Not only from the Middle Eastern areas, as stated in the blogs above, but also towards hispanic and asians who enter this country looking for a better place than where they had came from. They come to start new lives for families or themselves, but become aware of certain neglect and hard feelings that come from the Americna whites, who, for no other reason, hate on them of people just becase they are not like themselves. For example, many citizens of America complain of immigrants who take up jobs in the U.S., and that there is not enough for eveyone. But this is just one race being greedy towards another. This is an example of the overpowering acts poeple still tend to show, even though they think that part of history is past them. Another form of racism is the violent hate crimes that go on around the country. I once heard a story of a group of four white men beating a young jewish man to death becuase of his religion. Many acts like this go on that people have no knowledge about.The value of reading this book today is to realize and come to attention that the scenerios and situation are in a way very similar to how people today still find themselves. This book can have a huge affect on the country if people just look at it a different way and see how it relates to some of the things they have done, and if in anyway they can help. I think this kind of novel intersects with ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, becuase of the way the characters were treated becuase they were different. In both novels, the characters were shunned and were not slightly cared about because they were so different from society that nobody cared. Harriet Ann Jacobs represented a brave story that she lived to share with not only the people of her time, but the poeple of the future. She is a constant reminder of what a person felt like if they were treated like dogs, and she is a symbol of perserverance that led to her freedom, and can inspire poeple to live for what they want to be.
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Mr. Biggs
9/16/2013 07:26:45 am
Awesome post!
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Giana Apreza
9/5/2013 07:31:58 am
Throughout the novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Ann Jacobs frequently describes many situations not only regarding herself, but her fellow slaves and slave-owners in the South. A line in the text that hit me hard was, "I can testify, not only from my own experience and observation, that slavery is a curse to all the whites as to the blacks" (Brent 53). She goes on to describe how it turns the masters "cruel and sensual", the sons violent, the daughters contaminated, and the wives wicked. It is obvious how the slaves suffered also. This quote made me think deeply and understand what she meant. At many points in the novel, Linda refers to slavery as the Demon Slavery. Putting these two together it makes sense. Slavery as a whole turns the owners and its family into cruel, selfish, and malicious beings. It invades and tears apart their families and friends. It turns the slaves into weak, fragile beings. It is obvious that slavery was pointless, let alone cruel, but knowing how it affected both sides of the spectrum truly backed up that statement.
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Ann Palma
9/6/2013 03:03:48 am
Until I read this book, I thought that slavery affected only African Americans in a negative way. This novel made me realize that slavery changed the population as a whole for the worse. Adding on to what you wrote about how slave owners were tortured by slavery as were African Americans, even whites in the Free states were touched by the claws of slavery. Northerners are forced to obey the laws of slavery by the Southerners, causing them to partake in cruel, malicious behaviors. Northern Free-Soilers must abide the rules of the Fugitive Slave Act, which states that runaway slaves who were captured in the North must be returned to their rightful owner or master. Any Northerner who disobeyed or disregarded the law could be fined, imprisoned, or sued. In the novel, Linda recalls how northerners who moved to the south were the worst type of masters. They learned from their neighbors how to treat the slaves and generally went beyond them. Frankly, all the slaves despised "a northern man with southern principles." (44)
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Hannah Sauer
9/6/2013 07:04:56 am
I completely agree with you Ann; I didn't realize how everyone was affected by slavery, no matter what race or sex they were. The book really opened my eyes to the effects of slavery on all people, even though the novel was told from one girl's point of view.
Hannah Sauer
9/5/2013 12:24:46 pm
Harriet Ann Jacobs tells of the hardships of slavery through her eyes using the alias Linda Brent in her autobiographical novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Throughout the novel she expresses the challenges and discomfort of being a female in slavery, giving multiple examples of racism, sexism, and hierarchy. Because Linda's master believes himself superior to Linda, he pushes her around to get her to do whatever he wants. Linda shows that she is stronger than that; she has her own beliefs and morals and is not afraid to let that be known. Linda also is not afraid to tell the truth, no matter how much trouble it will get her into. She stands her ground and speaks honestly to her master even if he won't believe her. Linda's master won't allow another slaveholder to purchase her or let anyone pay for her freedom, either. He has too much respect for himself and too little for Linda, even though he sticks to the argument that Linda is technically his daughter's property, so it would not be right if he made any of those decisions. Linda was oppressed to the extremes, along with every other black slave, both male and female. Jacobs tries to explain the injustice that black slave women experienced, using herself and her own experiences as examples.
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Morgan Grant
9/6/2013 01:48:26 pm
Hannah, this quote I found in the book relates relatively to your post. "When he told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his, never before had my puny arm felt half so strong."(4.5) This shows how when Dr. Flint tries pressuring Linda and basically trying use her as a sexual object, Linda realizes that she is isn't just an object, and her defiance helps her build her will for refusing to comply with Dr. Flint's orders.
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Morgan Grant
9/6/2013 01:15:25 pm
The novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, written by Harriet Ann Jacobs, shows how even in a society where an act so cruel and horrible as slavery is acceptable,people still have the courage to not only think for themselves, but also challenge the system. "My friends feared I should become a cripple for life; and I was so weary of my long imprisonment that, had it not been for the hope of serving my children, I should have been thankful to die; but, for their sakes, I was willing to bear on." (24.7) This quotes shows Harriet's determination and love for her children helps her get through the many difficult times that she encounters. Harriet Ann Jacobs, also known as Linda Brent displays tremendous strength, courage, and will as she explains her story. She could not have been successful without the people in her life. Her grandmother, family, friends, and also her employers risk so much for just the life of a slave girl. All these people think for themselves and realize how corrupt slavery really is. They also challenge the law and authority of the current powers. This is actually a common theme between all the books I chose to read. In all three books, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, by Ken Kesey, and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs all show how an individual challenges authority.
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Emma Craven
9/7/2013 09:29:53 am
Morgan, I like the point you made about how the people in her life helped her get through everything and without them, Linda wouldn't have been successful is escaping and getting through life. They all risked their lives for her and they were courageous. I think that their attitude rubbed off on her a lot. That's why Linda was so strong.
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Emma Craven
9/7/2013 09:12:42 am
In my opinion, the value of reading the novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, does show me that, yes, racism, sexism, overpowering, violence, etc. stills goes on today. But I think what i got more out of this book was that love was a huge part of the story. Love was the one thing that kept Linda going. Whether it was God or grandma or her children, or even some of the the white people who helped her along the way. Love was the one thing that kept her alive. Linda's mistresses's father, Dr. Flint, showed no love back, and at the end of the book, Linda finally becomes free from him and his family. This showed me that love conquered all the hate in Linda's life. That love she had in her heart, helped her be courageous and strong. Although, she was treated like an animal and sometimes felt like dying would be the best thing for her, her family and the love they had for each other was the thing that healed her wounds and made her feel better. Love helped keep her alive. Yes, I do agree that the novels shows the reader the harsh reality of "life under total domination," but i also believe that the hardships Linda and her family went through only made their love stronger. I also see that today as well, in a lot of cases. Love is big part of a lot of people's lives today, whether it has to do with family or friends or anything, really. Yes, I do see that there is acts of hate going on today as well, but I think people just need to realize how much love is needed and is present in their everyday lives. And Linda shows this a lot in this book.
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