Slavery and Freedom: An Analysis of Harriet Jacobs' Autobiography

Running head: SLAVERY AND FREEDOM
SLAVERY AND FREEDOM: AN ANALYSIS OF HARRIET JACOBS'
AUTOBIOGRAPHY “INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL”
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

SLAVERY AND FREEDOM1
“I resolved not to be conquered again.”
The above quoted line from Harriet Jacobs’ autobiographical work “Incidents in the
Life of a Slave Girl” gives an overview of the central theme of the entire work. “Incidents in
the Life of a Slave Girl, written by herself” is an autobiographical work based on the life of
Harriet Ann Jacobs who was a slave herself. The concerned novel narrates her life as a slave
and also the manner in which he escapade from slavery to earn her freedom (Miller). In this
regard, it needs to be said that the work by way of portraying the life and hardships of Jacobs
offers a succinct representation of the life of the slave women and men during the slave era of
the American history (O'Malley).
An important aspect of the work under discussion here is the fact that it highlights
various motives or gratification factors which motivated the slaves to escape from the
different plantation camps or for that matter to seek their freedom. For example, in the
particular context of Jacobs it needs to be said that the oppression or the torture that she had
to endure at the plantation (Williams Jr.). In addition to this, the deprivation of the basic
human rights, the animal-like treatment that she had to face at the plantation, the fact that
they had to leave their motherland in order to serve as slaves in the nation of America and
others motivated Jacobs to escape to freedom from the yoke of slavery (Gaiser). Furthermore,
another important factor which motivated the women slaves like Jacobs to escape to freedom
was the fact that their bodies were being used by the white-skinned men not only for sexual
pleasure but also to impregnate them so as to get cheap labour (O'Malley). Jacobs in the
novel says “Women are considered of no value, unless they continually increase their owner's
stock. They are put on a par with animals. ....” (Jacobs). These in short were some of the
factors which motivated slaves like Jacobs to escape from the plantations or for that matter
from the clutches of their masters.