Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

I have long wanted to read the story of Harriet Jacobs. Reading, The Help, was the final push that needed to pick up this book. Harriet Jacobs was a slave during the early to mid nineteenth century. She told her story to an abolitionist woman who wrote it down. The audience was directed toward white, northern women. Also like the help, the realtionship between black and white omwne, was inherent throughout the text. Although there is speculation as to how true Jacobs' story is, I find that it brought up excellent lessons about slave life that could have happened to any slave during this time, regardless of whether it happened to Jacobs or not.

Some of Harriet's duties reminded me of the duties that women in The Help still had to perform. However, the consequences were much more servere. "It was necessary that a servant should sleep in the same room, to be on hand if the child stirred." Harriet was always meant to be with Mrs. Flint and her children. Harriet's own children took a back seat. They should not be raised together under any circumstances. It amazes me how much strength Jacobs had, in order to do what she does to set her own children free (which I won't mention as a spoiler). Overall, I could not imagine wishing that my own child were dead instead of being a slave, as Harriet did.

I thought it was interesting how her appearance, aside from her skin tone, afflicted her. Harriet hated a dress given to her by her mistress, Mrs. Flint. She hated it because "It was one of the badges of slavery." Mr. Flint also cut all of her hair off as a punishment, to show that she as a disobedient person.

Central to the text was also her and her family's feelings on slavery. William, her brother said, "...he did not mind the smart of the whip, but he did not like the idea of being whipped." He did not like being property. Harriet repeatedly said that she did not want to be conquered. She refused to be someone's property. Even in the end when she achieves her freedom, she looks at the bill of sale with mixed feelings. She is grateful for her freedom, but it disgusts her that she has to have a piece of paper to prove it, especially when it is backed by money.

Slavery also brought power to whites who were even low on the socioeconomic status tier. She spoke that when a town was looking for a runaway, low whites were "exulted in such a chance to exercise a little brief authority, and show their subserviency to the slaveholders," (p.101). Priests told the slaves that they were sinners just by being born a slave. Constables also had coveted privileges. For example, if he found a slave out after nine o'clock, "he could whip him as much as he liked." (p. 166).

Overally, the lessons in this book were extraordinary. It was definitely a wonderful, somber read with a triumphant end.

Favorite Quotes:
"I was born a slave; but I never knew still six years of happy childhood had passed away," (p. 36).

"I would ten thousand times rather that my children should be the half-starved paupers of Ireland than to be the most pampered among the slaves of America." (p. 63)

"I forgot that in the land of my birth the shadows are too close for light to penetrate." (p. 71)

"That poor, ignorant woman thought that America was governed by a Queen, to whom the President was subordinate. I wish the President was subordinate to Queen of Justice."

"It seemed as if I were born to bring sorrow on all who befriended me, and that was the bitterest drop in the bitter cup of my life." (p. 147)