Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet A. Jacobs, Writing Essay

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet A. Jacobs, paper as Linda Brent - Essay ExampleWhen that mistress, Margaret Horniblow died, everything changed for the worse for Harriet, who was willed to Dr. Norcom, the Dr. rocklike in Incidents.While he did non actually whip her, he sexually harassed the girl, an issue she seeks to expose in order to outline the dread and bodily function of Northern white women that a slave woman has no freedom all as a person or a woman. Flint makes this clear, often.It is difficult to select only trinity critical calamitys in her life, plainly one has to be the suffering endured at the hands of both Dr. Flint and his jealous wife. The effect of this caused her to abandon her moral stance regarding purity, and almost lost her the allegiance of her grandmother. By the pickings of a white venerater, Lawyer Sands, (Samuel Treadwell Sawyer) and bearing him two children, she may be considered to be enslaving herself further. She explains tha t such action was a means of self protection, for Flint still tormented her, wishing to set her up as his mistress in a cottage approximatelywhere, and she could not succumb to this form of enslavement. Instead, she chose touse her sexuality as a means of escape. The children do however, belong to Flint, but with the hope of them being set free, she removes herself, going into covert for seven years in her grandmothers attic. This is another important, central issue to the story, for she shows her audience that she cannot be the mother to them she desires to be, but will sacrifice this for their freedom. The happy outcome of these actions means that Sands is able to buy the children from Flint, with the help of some subterfuge.The darkest cloud that hung over my life had rolled away. Whatever slavery might do tome, it could not confine my children, If I fell a sacrifice, my little ones were saved.(Chap. 19, p. 166)In Chapter 29, when she is ready to escape, after delays and preva rication, there is a bitter-sweet shade in her discussion with her son, who says,Mother, Im glad youre going away. I wish I could go with you...I have been so afraid they would come and catch you (Chap. 29 p. 234)The escape, and what comes after it, signify a third important incident for Harriet/Linda, bringing about, as it does, a faith in the kindness of others (the Bruce family) but a bitter understanding that the Fugitive Law 1851 (Chap. 40) still robs her and her people of freedom. Regarding the standards of womanhood in 19th century America, Jacobs is aware of these and how she is take of the freedom to adhere to them. The ideal image of womanhood was that of motherhood, traditional homemaker, one who creates a place of love and security for her family, and who possesses the virtues of purity, piety and submission. At the same time, while nurturing the family, she must use her moral values, judged higher than the young-begetting(prenominal) of the species, to teach and deve lop her children. Jacobs is driven by this maternal instinct, the desire to secure freedom for her children, and to nurture them in a secure family unit, spiritually and physically. These elements are what she portrays to show evidence of respectability in that society. On the other hand, the contradiction in terms lies