Incidents_in_the_Life_of_a_Slave_Girl-_Harriet_Jacobs

When analyzing the book by Harriet Jacobs we can see that she has gone through some of the most horrible, racial, and negative times in her life. Throughout the next few minutes, you will find out how Linda explains how "Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women” (Jacobs 77), what she endured as a slave, and how her experiences were shaped by her gender and race. First, let’s look at how she explains that “Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women,” (Jacobs 77). Throughout her entire life she has struggled for her freedom, she has conquered fears that she never knew she could and she has also been an inspiration to others. Being a slave, she was physically and emotionally abused by her masters. She has created a picture in our heads throughout this book to let us imagine just how it could have been for a colored woman during her time. A women who resisted being a slave, and one who wanted more then anything to be free. She discloses the abuse taken from Dr. Flint, who sexually and verbally abused her. By her meaning of that quote, and what I’ve come to find, she means that being a woman and being black has had such a negative impact on her life. A woman is more vulnerable to being attacked and beat and sexually abused. If she were a man, she would not have gone through some of the things that she has. Next, we look at what she endured as a slave. Again, by being a woman, she is more prone and apt to being sexually abused. By being sexually abused by Dr. Flint, she made it a point or more like prove a point to him by getting pregnant by another man. He, who then became enraged, began to insult her everyday with some of the more revolting comments a person could make. Dr. Flint ended up stating “that he would make me suffer, to my last day, for this crime against him, as he called it; and as long as he had me in his power he kept his word,” (Jacobs 77). By Linda stating this one could come to a conclusion that Dr. Flint liked to have power of her, and when he did not or if she did something he did like, he would make it known to how mad he was and punish her to the fullest extent. Finally, being that she was of a mixed race, she endured more than a blacker person would. She was of more want and need to the master or white man. They were sexually attracted more to the lighter skinned black people then others. This of course caused more strain and hard times for Linda. Her master used and abused her more then any other slave of darker skin tones. Her gender also played a major role in her life. Linda was a young girl, light skin, and had beautiful hair. Being that, she was used up to her master’s advantages, and not cared for of how she should be. Her experiences were more abrasive and more abusive due to the fact that she is a woman. She is of more use to the masters then a young boy or man would be. Being said that, she being a woman and having light skin was not to her advantage. In conclusion, Linda has endured some of the most obtrusive, abusive, and harmful insults, physical and mental abuse that one can go through in their life. She was a brave and tough woman, who overcome a lot in her lifetime. Work Cited Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents In The Life of a Slave Girl. Enlarged Ed. . United States of America: President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2000. Print.