Book Review: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

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Slavery was a monstrous institution that brought so much pain and suffering to slaves and their families. Several slaves wrote about the horrific experiences in the hands of their masters, and the extremes they went to as they tried to save themselves from pain. Harriet A. Jacobs’ book, ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,’ talks about her experiences with different kinds of abuse as a slave, how she tried to fight against the institution, and how she eventually broke free.

The main argument in the book is the evil of the institution of slavery. The book is set in the early 1800s when slavery was a normal part of life, especially in the South. Slaves were put to work in plantations, industries, as well as in their master’s homes. In these places, they endured different kinds of abuse, such as verbal, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Children of slaves were not spared either as they were subjected to physical labor, which is a form of child abuse. In the introduction of the book, Jacobs explains that writing her story brought her much pain, and she would have kept it private, but she knew it would help the antislavery movement. Jacobs wrote under the pseudonym of Linda Brent. The main point of her book is, therefore, to shed light on the many evils of slavery towards the argument that it should be abolished. Sexual abuse of slaves was a common issue as slaves were seen to belong to their masters entirely. Another issue in slavery was the separation of families as they were sold off to different masters. Slave-owners did not recognize marriages among slaves. Slaves were also physically abused through hard labor in the plantations and severe beatings when their masters chose.

The book ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl’ gives many examples that illustrate the suffering of the slaves. One of these is sexual abuse that Linda tried to evade for a long time. Other slaves were not as lucky as she was to have a choice. When her mistress died, Linda went to live with a new mistress whose father made sexual advances towards her. Linda tried many tactics to evade him but realized she could not escape him forever. She chose a lesser evil, an affair with a white neighbor named Mr. Sands. Linda also speaks of the physical abuse slaves were subjected to. When Mr. Flint found out about her affair with Mr. Sands, he sent her to become a farmhand. Mr. Flint planned to do the same to Linda’s children as punishment to her NOTEREF _Ref37922876 f h 1. She chose to hide out in her grandmother’s attic for years with the hope that Mr. Flint would sell her children. Given the tiny room she was confined to, she progressively lost the use of her limbs and eventually became permanently disabled.

Separation of families was one of the most inhumane acts of slavery. Children would be separated from their parents with no consideration, stemming from the idea that slaves did not feel the same emotions as their masters. The whole premise of slavery was that slaves were less than human; they were mere objects to be used for the benefit of their masters. Jacobs tells of her experiences and those of her fellow slaves as they tried to fight against the unfair and inhuman treatment. A perfect example of this is Linda’s sacrifice to live in a tiny attic for seven years, which eventually destroyed her body. As a mother, she would do anything for her own children. Some of the slave-owners, such as Mrs. Bruce and Emily Flint’s aunt, showed kindness to their slaves, but this was not enough. At the end of the day, a slave remained a slave no matter how well they were treated.

In writing her book, Harriet Jacobs uses primary sources. She relies on her own first-hand account and also incorporates testimonies from three individuals to confirm the accuracy of the information. Amy Post, was a white abolitionist who confirmed Jacobs’ story in addition to a black antislavery writer named George W. Lowther. At the beginning of the book, an abolitionist named Lydia Maria Child confirms the accuracy of the events in the book and explains that the story would be useful for antislavery movements NOTEREF _Ref37922876 f h 1. Jacobs’ first-hand narration of the horrors she endured makes the story more believable to readers as she explains events as they happen and her reaction to them. The abolitionists who contributed to her book also lend credence to the story as people might have dismissed her work as mere tales from a slave.

‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl’ fits perfectly into the literature of the Pre-Civil War era. Writings about slavery mainly by slaves were becoming more common at the time as the antislavery movement gained momentum. These kinds of literature shed light on the horrors of slavery and promoted the argument that the whole institution of slavery was wrong, a violation of human rights and dignity of slaves. The book is quite similar to other books of the time as it gives the first-hand experience of slaves. Many slave authors at the time had similar themes in their book, such as sexual, physical, and other kinds of abuse meted out upon the slaves. These accounts helped readers at the time and in later years understand the appalling treatment of slaves, and the desperate measures they took to save themselves and their families.