Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Ann Jacobs Essay - 1080 Words

Gwynedd Mercy University is a Catholic University founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy commit to serving, advocating for, and praying for those in need all over the world. They work passionately to reduce critical concerns that are prevalent in today’s society; for example, issues consisting of denial of human rights, degradation of the earth, violence, and racism. Although multiple critical concerns could fit, the critical concern of denial of human rights was most present in the novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, written by Harriet Ann Jacobs. Slavery would have been a huge concern for the Sisters of Mercy to work against, given their work was being done in America; however, slavery in the United States began in the 1600s and The first Sisters of Mercy arrived in the United States from Ireland in 1843. The Sisters of Mercy’s concern of denial of human rights exists not only in the novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl b ut also in present-day society. All human beings have the fundamental right to their life, their liberty, and their property, it even states this in the Declaration of Independence. In slavery, and in this novel, slaves were denied all three. The main critical concern of denial of human rights existed throughout the entire novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Linda, the main character, not only was not allowed to own her own home, but she was also the physical property of Dr. Flint. He tries toShow MoreRelatedIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs1671 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican American slave, Jacobs had no voice in telling the empty audience of followers the truth about the horrors slavery has instilled upon her and countless others of her kind. This is why I believe Jacobs uses a second persona in aiding her to retell her stories, which is an attempt to draw remorse and sympathy from her readers, as well as a way to unravel the truth behind slavery to those that overlook and accept it in society. In Jacobs’ Incidents in the life of a slave girl, Jacobs uses the maternalRead MoreHarriet Jacobs’ Fight Against Intolerance713 Words   |  3 Pagesdetermined will. There is might in each† a statement from Harriet Ann Jacobs reflecting her will to overcome the standards of society (97). Harriet Jacobs’ life revolved around slavery from birth to death. Jacobs was a mother of two with determination and insight to make choices to change the way of life for her children. Harriet Jacobs was the first African American women to have her slave narrative published retelling her life story exposing the years she spent escaping slavery and theRead More Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesHarriet Jacobs wanted to tell her story, but knew she lacked the skills to write the story herself. She had learned to read while young and enslaved, but, at the time of her escape to the North in 1842, she was not a proficient writer. She worked at it, though, in part by writing letters that were published by the New York Tribune, and with the help of her friend, Amy Post. Her writing skills improved, and by 1858, she had finished the manuscript of her book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave GirlRead MoreIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl748 Words   |  3 PagesIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl The story I will be discussing is entitled Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs. This book is relative to more than a few of previous topics that have been discussed in class during lectures. The book touches on the struggles that enslaved women faced on a day to day basis. It follows the life on author Harriet Ann Jacobs and does an excellent job demonstrating how women in bondage unlike their free white counterparts, had no male figureRead MoreIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Analysis1335 Words   |  6 PagesIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, a slave narrative written by Harriet Ann Jacobs is highly commended for the portrayal of women during the excruciating times of slavery. Disregarding that the slave narrative was initially written for the audience of Caucasian women, â€Å"†¦, as white women constituted Jacobs’s primary audience at the time she wrote her narrative† (Larson,742) the struggles of being a female slave were emph asized throughout the narrative. Harriet Ann Jacobs elaborates on slave women’s worthRead MoreGender Specific Slavery During The Period Of The Civil War1198 Words   |  5 Pagesproperty as opposed to an actual human being, some slaves managed to rebel and write down their account of white slave owners’ dehumanization of black slaves. In social reformer and writer Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave he writes of rebelling against his physically abusive owners and triumphantly gaining freedom. In writer Harriet Ann Jacobs narrative Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs writes of rebelling against her sexually abusive ownerRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass And Harriet Ann Jacobs904 Words   |  4 PagesFrederick Douglass and Harriet Ann Jacobs There are those in America who believe that it is time we move past the deep complex feelings towards the cultural repercussions of slavery. Much like the modern-day, Germans feel in their association with the murders and tragedies after World War II, many Americans – especially white American – want to feel an understandable disassociation from the white Americans who propagated slavery. Thus calling this unbearable reminder of the past â€Å"white guilt†Read MoreEssay on Out of the Silence1445 Words   |  6 PagesThe slave narrative genre is an important part of American history. These stories are not only portraits of individual history, but also of American history. By reading the stories of the past we can better determine the path of the future. The personal stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are two excellent examples of the slave narrative genre in American literature. To be sure, bondage and oppression had a lasting and profound effect on both genders; however, men and women experiencedRead MoreThe Life Of A Slave By Harriet Jacob Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pagespeople were treated so badly and it was â€Å"normal,† it was acceptable. These slaves lived and worked in very harsh conditions. I believe the only reason why we know so much about how bad slaves were treated is because of three autobiographies, Incidents in the Life of a Slave by Harriet Jacob, Autobiography of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, who had a huge impact during the times of slavery, and Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. Because of these three autobiographies historians canRead MoreThe Humiliating Nature of Enslavement, Sexual Savage Exploitation, and Degradation in Autobiographical Narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Ann Jacobs2068 Words   |  9 Pagessavage exploitation, and degradation in autobiographical narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Ann Jacobs In the age of Romanticism, slavery and the slave trade provoked sharp criticism and controversy and played a very significant role in shaping public opinion and causing moral opposition to injustice and tyranny. Since Columbus’s journey opened the doors of the Atlantic passage to African Slave Trade, slavery became man’s greatest inhumanity to man â€Å"converting† the victims into labor