Incidents Of A Slave Girl Essay, Research Paper

In Harriet Jacob’s “Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl” Linda Brent reveals the unique brutalities that were inflected on enslaved women that would make one believe that it was best to be dead then to be a slave.

“Incidents” discussed the economics of slavery; the quest for freedom; pain and suffering (physical and emotional) community support and family loyalty; resistance and the issue of literacy. It also includes moral conflict between slavery and Christianity; color prejudice; racism; the bond of motherhood, family loyalty; abandonment and the distrust between the blacks slaves and their slave owners.

Linda mentions how a black slave was almost beaten to death, because he was arguing with his wife. I was moved on that, because I thought the slave’s owners did not care much for the slaves and then for him to protect the female slave for her husband because he had children by her, got me confused. Is the slave owner showing that he cares or was he just protecting his property?

I did not like that William was severely reprimanded by his father for answering to his mistress instead of his father when being summoned by the both of them. William was perplexed about whom he was supposed to go to and he had to learn the hard way. I think William should have been warned about whom he should go to first, but that would be too much like right.

I felt emotionally drained in regards to the daily torments Linda had to endure in the Flint household. Not only did she have to avoid the pursuit of Dr. Flint, she also was exposed tot he jealous rage of Mrs. Flint, who instead of trying to protect Linda, sees her as responsible for arousing her husbands’ lust. Linda was between a rock and a hard place, between her lustful, master and his emotionally insecure wife.

Another form of punishment was tying a rope around a person’s body, hanging him over a fire, which a piece of fat dripped on their bare flesh. This is just another example of how brutal slavery was. I do not think I had to be there to feel what Linda is trying to express, because these incidents express the effectiveness of the text.

I like the strong family ties that Linda talks about, but it is psychologically and emotionally damaging, because Linda had to choose to stay in slavery on the count of her children or make a run for freedom.

Bloodhounds were so well trained that when they caught a runaway slave, they literally tore the flesh from his bones. These things were done to the slaves while they were alive and contentious. This is something I can not imagine. It is hard for me to picture this in my mind.

These very, very brutal incidents and treatments from the hands of the salve master. My feelings on this is “How inhumane!”

The abuse that the slave suffered has an effect on the African Americans today to the point that some of the African Americans feel inferior and beneath Anglo-Saxon’s.

So, the slaves suffered tremendous abuse that one would think it is best to be dead then to be a slave.