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Incidents in th Lif of a Slav Girl is a narrative that describe a young girls trials and tribulations will bing an involuntary member of th institution of slavery. Jacobs, lik very othr victim of th atrocity known as slavery, wish's that popl in th north would do mor to put a stop to this harmful practice. Slavery is an understood dishonor of th past. This is tru, not only because of th injustice don to th slavs, but for th native facts that th slav hours and the wiv's underwent.
When thr ar basic rights of from bing did in a society, no trial principles can b upheld. Th fact that this sinful treatment of othr human bing's was permitted had a morally crippling fact not only on th principal victim, th slav, but on th near household in which th slav ride. Slavery corrupt th morals of von within its rach. First and foremost, we must recognize that the primary and most directly affected victim due to slavery, is of course, the slave. Ranging from lashings, emotional struggles, and even death, slaves have felt the truest and most severe form of slavery. They are not allowed to own property because according to Southern laws, a slave, being property, can hold no property (6).
Harriet Jacobs describes many of her misfortunes and happenings while under the thumb and close watch of Dr. Flint. She was degraded and insulted many times throughout her stay with him. For example, Jacobs recalls 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 (18). This was only the beginning however, and pretty soon thereafter sexual advances were made by Dr. Flint in which he peopled my young mind with unclean images, such as only a vile monster could think of (27).
Linda (who in reality is author Harriet Jacobs) could find little protection being a slave because... no matter whether the slave girl be as black as ebony or as fair as her mistress. In either case, there is no shadow of law to protect her from insult, from violences, or even from death; all these are inflicted by fiends who bear the shape of men (27). Harriet Jacobs also asks her readers to reflect on the existence of a double standard in considering her actions under slavery. After admitting to having sacrificed her purity for the sake of escaping Dr. Flints advance, she asks for understanding: "the condition of a slave confuses all principles of morality, and in fact renders the practice of them impossible" (55).
Jacobs lives in a society that refuses to protect her with laws or customs, and she should therefore be judged with different precepts in mind. If one cannot legally own their body, how can they be responsible for its actions? On an indirect level, there are other parties that suffer the consequences of slavery. The slave holders for example; slavery's strong power puts them in a situation where they are entirely in control of another human life. This can only ultimately lead to the downfall of their moral character, for they believe that these slaves are born to serve them in whatever way they see fit.
In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Dr. Flint was the perfect example. His control over Linda fuels his immoral practices and to the young slave girl she saw him a man forty years my senior daily violating the most sacred commandments of nature. He told me I was his property; that I must subject to his will in all things (27) The jealous wives of these slave holders also suffer from this abominable organization, slavery. It ruins the relationship between husband and wife, filling it with an uncertainty of fidelity and emotions raging from utter despair to utter rage; and most of the rage is directed to the un-wanting party; the slave. The Flints relationship suffered when...
Angry words were frequently passed between her and her husband. He had never punished me himself, and he would not allow any body else to punish me. In that respect, she was never satisfied; but in her angry moods, no terms were too vile for her to bestow upon me (32). When Linda expressed her situation in which Dr.
Flint was making sexual advances towards her, Mrs. Flint, instead of seeing her husband as a disgusting pervert took her anger out on Linda; I was the object of her jealousy, and, consequently, of her hatred; and I knew I could not expect kindness or confidence from her under the circumstances in which I was placed (34). Ironically, the Flints as well as other slave holders in their situation, were actually victims of their own situation. They were the ones who so adamantly refused to give up their precious slave, the one that had caused them both so much grief, hatred, and tore apart what could have been a safe and happy marriage. I can testify, from my own experiences and observation, that slavery is a curse to the whites as well as to the blacks. It makes the white fathers cruel and sensual; the sons violent and licentious; it contaminates the daughters, makes the wives wretched.
And as for the colored race, it needs an abler pen than mine to describe the extremity of their sufferings, the depth of their degradation (52). Apparently, slavery not only obscures the morality of the slaves, but also those of the master who holds no respect for a woman's privacy. Here in this one house, there is a mature, adult male harassing a young woman he considers property and privilege. Then, a mistress filled with jealousy and rage and acting on these emotions. And finally a young slave burdened by race and gender, anxious to throw away her virginity for the sake or not having it stolen. All of the above conditions could arise together only under the institution of slavery.
As Jacobs writes, "the degradation, the wrongs, the vices, that grow out of slavery, are more than I can describe. They are greater than you would willingly believe" (28). The incidents is definitely a production of a white woman writer. Jobs rss th dildo fd by ll nld women: th onefit btwn virtuous, womanly idl's nd soul xloittion by whit mstr's. In spring for resolution to this onefit, Jobs dmonstrts th of of roll gay in thought, sh, nd tion. Sh suggests tht slv women b judge by different standards thn thos lid to othr women, nd in doing so dvds more od tht dress th site soil nd history option of tiv, blk women.
Yt, Jobs' work gos beyond this: hr ingenuity, strength of will, nd or of sh wr standards of womanly behavior bing newly dvd by th making finish moving. Jobs' work first found its l in history s "slv nrr tiv" rotating th buss rnrd gift tiv mn nd women, but I suggest tht it rhs beyond th boundaries of this gnr nd send s n important finish document. Incidents is rl lif demonstration tht th soil strikers ld on ninth-nature women to martin th "four ring virtuosity, unit, submissions nd domesticity" wr like only in rating idl settings for whit women nd n impossible od for nld women to follow. In struggling gift th but dynamic of system tht simultaneously st book hr idl's of "tru womanhood" yt round to knowledge hr s home bing, Jobs mrg's said but victorious. Hr rational or nd will to tion flint hr forms to find sturgis for doing with soul hrssmnt from hr mstr, for maintaining family unity, nd for stblishing more od in harmony with hr blogs nd situation.
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Research essay sample on In Th Lif Of A Slav Girl Is
