Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
About the author 1813 born in North Carolina Mother was a black slave and father a white slave 1825 sold to Dr. James Norcom Had two children with Samuel Sawyer, a white lawyer. 1834 escaped to Philadelphia
Position in society Mulatto Enslaved women Mother Fugitive slave Abolitionist Writer (Linda Brent)
Slavery and the treatment of slaves Major Issues Slavery and the treatment of slaves Civil War began in 1861
About the book Only book length slave narrative written by a woman Went against traditional 19th century values One of the first open discussions about sexual harassment and abuse endured by slave women
Main Points Slavery was an evil that contaminated many Southern families, making them and their society in many ways dysfunctional. Slaves were their master’s property The mistress was jealous and had rage towards the helpless victim Being beautiful was a curse Southern women often married men knowing they had fathered slave children
Questions for thought Would this book have had the same impact if written by the mistress? How could a mistress retaliate against her husband?