BOOK REPORT ON “INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL”

The book “incidents in the life of a slave girl” is the first of its Kind uncovering the unmatched brutality that was inflicted on the women who were enslaved. Through this book Harriet Jacobs who uses the pseudonym Linda Brent reveals her life sexual abuse, degradation and the enslavement. In Her own words she reveals the reasons for writing her personal story, she says “reader it is not to awaken sympathy for myself that I am telling you truthfully what I suffered. I do it to kindle a flame of compassion in your hearts for my sisters who are still in bondage”.  In her journey since the death of her mother up to her, she has interacted and related with a number of people. Her most significant relationships were with other women.

One of the most significant relationships in this book is that of Linda Brent and Her Mistress Mrs. Flint. After she is willed to Mr. Flint’s daughter she finds herself in the same room with Mrs. Flint who detests her. Her relationship With Mrs. Flint is one of based on insecurities and suspicion. Linda Brent finds herself at loggerheads with Mrs. Flint after Mr. Flint attempts to get sexual favors from Linda Brent. Instead of confronting her husband she turns her anger and wrath on Linda who is a victim. Mrs. Flint who is emotionally immature and insecure convinces herself the blame for her husband’s lascivious behavior entirely lays on Linda since she is a slave. This relationship paints the picture of how slave women interacted with their mistress. In this book, Linda describes Mrs. Flint and says “Mrs. like many southern women was totally deficient in energy. She had not strength to superintend her household affairs; but her nerves were so strong, that she could sit on her easy chair and see a woman Whipped” (2).

Another notable Women relationship is one between Linda Brent and Her grandmother Aunt Martha a pseudonym for Molly Horniblow. Their relationship is built on a foundation of love for family members.  This kind of relationships was difficult for slave families because they were mainly sold like property and separated from their loved ones.  Aunt Martha gives Linda support, love and guides her spiritually. Being her former slave she clearly understands what her Grandchild Linda has to go through. Due to her love for Linda though futile she made an attempt to buy her so that she could be free. When Linda escaped she hid in her grandmother’s attic for seven years.  This paints the picture of slave families and especially women struggled to help one another.The story of Linda Brent played a vital role in shaping how historians understood slavery for women. Harriet Jacobs Painted a different picture for the Historians who mainly focused on the hard labor and historic escapes of men. She brought fourth what slavery was like for women just like their male counterparts; they were beaten and subjected to physical torture. On top of this, women slaves were wronged emotionally and verbally. Some of the women prayed for their death, Harriet Jacobs gives such a scenario in her book “Another neighbor was a Mrs. Wade. At no hour of the day was there a cessation of the lash on her premises. Her labors began with the dawn, and did not cease until long after nightfall. The barn was her particular place of torture. There she lashed slaves with the might of a man. An old slave of hers once said to me, “It is hell in mississ house. Pears I can never get out. Day and night I prays to die.” (p.48). Thanks to Harriet Jacobs Historians will never leave women out of the picture when looking at slavery and the role they played in the fight for freedom.