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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Decent Essays

In the non-fiction book “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” by Harriet A. Jacobs and published in Boston in 1861. The author Jacobs was born into slavery in 1813, in a town called Edenton, North Carolina. Jacob uses the pseudonym Linda Brent to narrate her first person account. The book opens with Jacobs stating her reasons for writing a biography of her life story. Her story is agonizing and she had rather have kept it confidential, although she felt that by making it public that perhaps it might help the antislavery movement. A preface by Linda Child, states in the beginning of the book, “READER, be assured this narrative is no fiction. I am aware that some of my adventures may seem incredible; but they are, nevertheless, strictly true” (Jacobs 5). I would like to explain the main themes in this story, they include family and community, dangers of slavery for women, motherhood, and altogether the corrupting power of slavery, religion, and last but not least perseverance. Family and community are immensely important in Incidents. Even with the tendency of some slaves to fall prey to rage, depression, or slumber, many were able to sustain due to the immense support of their family and others in the black community. Family, friends and neighbors gave love, compassion, material care, helped in eluding or hiding. They were able to instill in each other a strong sense of acceptance and signification. They may have been denied the conventional

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