Academic Paper from the year 2015 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1.0, University of Constance, language: English, abstract: "You have seen a man made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man." (Douglass, Jacobs, 2004) The experiences of Frederick Douglass, one of the former slaves who escaped the horrors of slavery, became one of the most widely read slave narratives and the most influential African- American text of the antebellum era. Authors like Douglass wanted not only to expose the inhumanity of the slave system, but they also gave incontestable evidence to the humanity of the African American. The question that arises is, how representative Douglass ́s narrative is - does he speak of "man" as a representative for people in general, or is he specifically speaking for the male slave? For the last years scholars have begun to pay more attention to issues of gender in their study of slavery and claim that female slaves faced additional burdens and even more challenges than some of the male slaves. Based on the first female slave narrative, Harriet Jacobs ́s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, this paper will investigate how gender influences the way in which bondage can be experienced differently: what specific forms of oppression do women face in slavery, or what forms of oppression do they encounter to a larger extent than men? Claiming that this gender specific oppression results in gender specific forms of resistance, I will furthermore focus on the ways of how female slaves made a stand against this oppression. Again, Jacobs ́s narrative will be the basis for this investigation. Incidents is the first-person account of Jacobs ́s pseudonymous narrator "Linda Brent" and presents an accurate, although selective, story of her life. This paper will not discuss the relationship between Jacobs and her narrator Brent, but will consider Brent ́s account as autobiographical for Jacobs. For over a century, the authenticity of Jacobs ́s

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic includes a glossary and reader's notes to help the modern reader appreciate Jacobs' perspectives and language.DRIVEN BY THE HORRORS of slavery and fear of a predatory master, Harriet Jacobs, a young black woman, makes the fateful, life-altering decision to escape. Long thought to be the work of a white writer, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the captivating and terrifying story of Jacobs' daily life on a plantation in North Carolina, her seven years of hiding, and her ultimate triumph.Jacobs wrote her autobiography in 1861, under a pseudonym to protect the lives of the friends and family she left behind, and the work had been essentially lost until the mid-twentieth century. Now recognized as a classic, unflinching portrait of slave life, Incidents exposes slavery on a level comparable only to that of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

This is a far-ranging study which contextualises both the historical figure of Harriet Jacobs and her autobiography as a created work of art.

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,7, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: American Literary History, language: English, abstract: Harriet Jacobs “Incidents in the life of a slave girl” was published in 1861. Harriet Jacobs tells us her story from her perspective as somebody born as a slave. “The pseudonymous narrator, Linda Brent, is caught between the brutal, exploitative bonds of slavery and the idealized, altruistic bonds of true womanhood.” (Sherman, 167). Harriet Jacobs was “the first American woman known to have authored a slave narrative in the United States [...].” (Jacobs, 804). Through Harriet Jacob’s story one can gain a deep insight into the hard life and into the soul and feelings of Harriet Jacobs as Linda Brent. One can learn a lot about courage, bravery, willpower and determination – briefly speaking: about a strong girl/woman who never gave up.

"Life of a Slave Girl" is an autobiographical novel written by Harriet Jacobs, chronicling her life as a slave and her eventual escape to freedom. Published in 1861, it is one of the first personal narratives written by a former female slave, offering a unique perspective on the brutal realities of slavery and the struggles faced by women in this oppressive system. The book begins with a detailed account of Harriet's childhood, growing up as a slave in North Carolina. She describes the happy moments of her early years, but also the constant fear and uncertainty that came with being owned by another person. Harriet reveals the harshness of her master, Dr. Flint, who relentlessly pursued her for sexual favors, leading her to seek refuge in a secret relationship with a white man. This relationship gives her two children, but also puts her in a vulnerable position as she feared that Dr. Flint would use them as leverage to control her. In a desperate attempt to escape the oppressive environment and protect her children, Harriet flees to the North and becomes a fugitive slave. She hides in a cramped attic for seven years, constantly fearing for her safety and the safety of her children. During this time, she struggles with poverty and discrimination, but also experiences the joy of being free and the hope of a better future. However, Harriet's story takes a dark turn when Dr. Flint catches up to her and attempts to bring her back into slavery. In a heart-wrenching decision, she is forced to send her children away to protect them, knowing that she may never see them again. Through her resilience and determination, Harriet eventually makes her way to the North, where she is reunited with her children and able to live as a free woman. Throughout the book, Harriet exposes the brutal and dehumanizing realities of slavery, particularly for women. She vividly describes the physical and sexual abuse she endured, as well as the emotional toll it took on her. She also sheds light on the ways in which female slaves were used and exploited by their masters, often being forced into sexual relationships and bearing children who were still considered property. In addition to her personal experiences, Harriet also speaks out against the institution of slavery as a whole. She reveals the hypocrisy of Christian slaveholders who justify their actions with religion and the irony of a country founded on the principles of freedom and equality still allowing the ownership and mistreatment of human beings. "Life of a Slave Girl" is not only a powerful memoir of one woman's journey to freedom, but also a powerful commentary on the horrors of slavery and the resilience of the human spirit. Harriet Jacobs' brave and honest account serves as a reminder of the injustices of the past and the ongoing fight for equality and social justice. It is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complex and painful history of slavery in America.

"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. I have not exaggerated the wrongs inflicted by Slavery; on the contrary, my descriptions fall far short of the facts. I have concealed the names of places, and given persons fictitious names. I had no motive for secrecy on my own account, but I deemed it kind and considerate towards others to pursue this course...." "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" was one of the first books to address the struggle for freedom by female slaves; explore their struggles with sexual harassment and abuse; and their effort to protect their roles as women and mothers. After being overshadowed by the Civil War, the novel was rediscovered in the late 20th century and since then hasn't been out of print ever. It is one of the seminal books written on the theme of slavery from a woman's point of view and appreciated worldwide academically as well. Harriet Jacobs (1813–1897) was an African-American writer who was formerly a fugitive slave. To save her family and her own identity from being found out, she used the pseudonym of Linda Brent and wrote secretly during the night.

I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skilful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded. In complexion my parents were a light shade of brownish yellow, and were termed mulattoes. They lived together in a comfortable home; and, though we were all slaves, I was so fondly shielded that I never dreamed I was a piece of merchandise, trusted to them for safe keeping, and liable to be demanded of them at any moment. I had one brother, William, who was two years younger than myself—a bright, affectionate child. Such were the unusually fortunate circumstances of my early childhood. When I was six years old, my mother died; and then, for the first time, I learned, by the talk around me, that I was a slave. My mother's mistress was the daughter of my grandmother's mistress. She was the foster sister of my mother; they were both nourished at my grandmother's breast. In fact, my mother had been weaned at three months old, that the babe of the mistress might obtain sufficient food. They played together as children; and, when they became women, my mother was a most faithful servant to her whiter foster sister. On her death-bed her mistress promised that her children should never suffer for any thing; and during her lifetime she kept her word. They all spoke kindly of my dead mother, who had been a slave merely in name, but in nature was noble and womanly. Reader, my story ends with freedom; not in the usual way, with marriage. I and my children are now free! We are as free from the power of slaveholders as are the white people of the north; and though that, according to my ideas, is not saying a great deal, it is a vast improvement in my condition. The dream of my life is not yet realized. I do not sit with my children in a home of my own, I still long for a hearthstone of my own, however humble. I wish it for my children's sake far more than for my own. But God so orders circumstances as to keep me with my friend Mrs. Bruce. Love, duty, gratitude, also bind me to her side. It is a privilege to serve her who pities my oppressed people, and who has bestowed the inestimable boon of freedom on me and my children. It has been painful to me, in many ways, to recall the dreary years I passed in bondage. I would gladly forget them if I could. Yet the retrospection is not altogether without solace; for with those gloomy recollections come tender memories of my good old grandmother, like light, fleecy clouds floating over a dark and troubled sea.

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 2,5, University of Göttingen (Department of American Studies), course: HS American Autobiographies, language: English, abstract: In dieser Seminararbeit behandele ich Harriet Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl". Dabei wird das Werk einer genaueren Analyse unterzogen, um es literaturtheoretisch einordnen zu können. Dabei werden unter anderem die amerikanische Autobiographie sowie der slave narrative näher dargestellt. 'Incidents' ist ein slave narrative der besonderen Art, da er von einer Frau geschrieben wurde, die ganz anderen Reaktionen ausgesetzt war wie ein Mann in der damaligen Zeit. Dies wird auch in meiner Analyse deutlich.

Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is one of the most compelling accounts of slavery and one of the most unique of the one hundred or so slave narratives—mostly written by men—published before the Civil War. The child and grandchild of slaves—and therefore forbidden by law to read and write—Harriet Jacobs was defiant in her efforts to gain freedom and to document her experience in bondage. She suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her master at the age of eleven. In 1842, she fled North and joined a circle of abolitionists that worked for Frederick Douglass's newspaper. In 1863, she and her daughter moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where they organized medical care for Civil War victims and established the Jacobs Free School.

Packaged in handsome, affordable trade editions, Clydesdale Classics is a new series of essential literary works. It features literary phenomena with influence and themes so great that, after their publication, they changed literature forever. From the musings of literary geniuses like Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to the striking personal narrative of Solomon Northup in Twelve Years a Slave, this new series is a comprehensive collection of our history through the words of the exceptional few. One of the only surviving female slave narratives from the twentieth century, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is an autobiographical account written by Harriet Jacobs. The narrative documents the extreme adversity she overcame before she eventually achieved her freedom. Born into slavery, young Harriet was taken into the care of her mother’s mistress, who treated her relatively well. However, a few years later, the mistress passed away and her cruel, abusive relatives inherited Harriet. Under the pseudonym “Linda Brent,” Jacobs recounts within the book the horrific injustices she encountered: sexual abuse, extreme cruelty, exploitation, being denied motherhood when her children are sold to another slave owner. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet’s agonizing descriptions are indicative of what many other enslaved African American women suffered through during this tragic time in American history. Published in 1861, just on the brink of the Civil War, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a harrowing literary work bringing to light the courage, empowerment, and perseverance a young slave found in her desperate search for freedom.