Information Technology High School
Ms. Hyde
English 5/ Period 8
November 12, 2008
Pooja Kar
Title: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs
Characters & Characterizations:
Protagonist: Linda Brent, a naïve innocent slave girl, who has only one determination in her life, which is to be free. She proved herself so many times by not submitting to Dr.Flint when he was threatening or forcing her. She’s brave, rebellious and smart that she out smarted Dr. Flint by getting herself pregnant with another man. It might have been a bad move it was will to show that she wasn’t scared of him but it also buts her in tight spot where she has to be extra careful. She lost her rebellious and independent when she became a mother because she has to protect her children from Dr. Flint as well. Even she did lose her steaks of being independent and rebellious but she didn’t lose her sight of gaining her freedom by escaping to the North. Trough many struggles Linda try to save herself and her children from the harsh world they live in.
Antagonist: Dr. Flint, a slave holder who loves to have power over the slaves, mostly Linda. He is ignorant and corrupted person. He loves to torment Linda whenever he gets the chance too and he is 40 years younger than her. He doesn’t beat or rape her but he tries to threaten her emotionally or mentally. Having to father 11 children he still loves the thought of having Linda to himself regarding the thought that he already has a wife. Finding out that Linda is an intelligent slave who can read and write he tries to find some other way to torment her, but that doesn’t stop her to fight for her freedom. He is the only person that is in her way to gain her freedom because he doesn’t intend to sell her no matter what the cost is. He may love money but he loves the thought that he has power over Linda.
Setting:
Time: Early 1800’s to the late 1800
Place: The Southern slave states and the Northern Free States.
The Southern States is slave states where Linda was born and grew up. It probably wasn’t the best place to grow for a slave girl but it was home. A place where she can say it’s her, like her grandmother house where she stays when Dr. Flint wants to use her for his own desire. A place where you have to be on your guard 24/7 to make sure that nothing happens. The Northern States, a place where all the slaves wants to go but not all of them can’t make it. Linda dream is to go to the North because she wants to leave behind the miserable and harsh life she had lived in the South. She makes it to the Northern States but she wasn’t free from her past which haunted her and so did Dr. Flint. These things didn’t stop her from trying to make sure that her and her children had safe and secure life.
Vocabulary:
· Peddler- a person who sells from door to door or in the street
· Abolitionists- reformer who favors abolishing slavery
· Emancipation- freeing someone from the control of another
· Trepidation- an involuntary trembling and quivering
· Arbitrary- subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion
Plot: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs
Exposition:
· She was six years old when she knew that she was slave girl and was sent to leave with her mother white mistress when her mother died.
· Linda’s maternal grandmother how she gained her freedom by the help of her mistress sister and she is willing to pay back every penny.
· When Linda was 12 years old, her mistress dies and sells her to her niece.
Rising Action:
· Dr. Flints starts to torment Linda to submit to him.
· Mrs. Flint sees that Linda is to blame that her husband isn’t interested in her.
· Dr. Flint starts to threaten Linda emotionally and physically if he doesn’t submit to him.
· Dr. Flint also threats Linda to not to see her lover because if she does she’ll be responsible for her lover’s death.
· Linda also says that how their master lies to their slave so they won’t run away to the North.
Climax:
· Dr. Flint offers Linda that he’ll build a cottage for to live in and make her a “lady”, which Linda disapproved off.
· Linda became pregnant with Mr. Sand so she can at least tries to gain her freedom, but Dr. Flint won’t even listen to the offer.
· Linda bears another child but this time it’s a girl and she fears her daughter will go through the thing she went through.
· Linda leaves to the plantation to work for the young master Flint.
Falling Action:
· Linda escaped from the plantation was hiding at her grandmother attic.
· Dr. Flint sold William, Benjamin and Ellen to the slave trade, which is where Mr. Sand bought them.
· Later on Linda heard that Mr. Sand will be leaving to Washington D.C. so she sneaked out of her hiding spot see and speak to Mr. Sand before he leaves.
· Linda and Mr. Sand exchange letters with each other and Linda realizes that when Mr. Sand gets married their children will be left out and that what she fears that they’ll be treated like a slave.
Resolution:
· With the helps of her friends she escaped to Philadelphia by a ship. The captain was nice enough to help her escape but her fear was that man will probably send her back because of the reward and money he’ll get.
· She starts to work for Mrs. Bruce as her nurse to take care of her baby. Mrs. Bruce also offers help Linda to bring her daughter Ellen to the North.
· Mr. Flint goes to New York to look for her and Linda informs her grandmother to send her son Benjamin to Boston and there they were reunited.
· Later on Linda and both of her children are reunited and they decided to stay at Boston and try to make a living on her own.
Quotes:
“…he told me that I was made for his use, made to obey him commend in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his, never before had my puny arm felt half so strong” pg 15.
I think this quote means that slave are use to fulfill their masters wishes and desire. Mostly slave women are in tight notch where that must obey their master commends and they must surrender to them. For Linda those discouraging words from Dr. Flint it’s her strength. Sometime those harsh and uncaring words can become someone else’s strength to fight. For those slaves at the south, they believe what their master tells them because they are taught to think that they aren’t human. I agree with this quote because no one should care and believe what the other person is saying bad thing about that person. You have to be your own strength and fight what they’re saying about you. You and only you can fight for what right and wrong. Like what Linda did, she never gave up and never submits to Flint. She was strong and fought all those harsh word Flint told her. In life you have to know that stick and stone can break my bone but words will never harm me.
“Women are considered of no value, unless they continually increase their stock” pg 52.
This quotes means that women are animals that are only needed only to be used for men desire and to give birth to their child. In the olden days like the 1700’s and more they use to believe that women are used only for men personal use. Both the white and the slave women aren’t different because when it comes to pleasure your men’s they are only use to carry child in their womb. I usually won’t agree with this quote but knowing that it’s before the women right I guess I’ll agree with this quote. Women are treated badly and unfairly during those times. Growing up in the 21st century it’s hard to image the life that woman had.
Conflict: Man vs. Man
Linda is fighting for herself and her children freedom from Dr. Flint. Dr. Flint will do anything make sure that Linda will submit herself to him but Linda will do anything in her power to make sure it’ll never happen. She knows that going against your master that she’ll have to face consequences but Dr. Flint makes sure that no one and not even he will ever hurt Linda. By acknowledging how strong Linda’s will power we see how she face Flint and how she escape her brutal life as a slave girl with her children. While Dr. Flint is doing everything in his power to make sure that he finds her and nothing can stop in his way.
Themes:
Freedom:
Linda Brent is struggling to gain her and her children freedom. A freedom that all slaves always think about but not that sure if they can make it to the North. If they do make it to the North how are they going to live? Sometime you have to the risk and see what life has to offer. Linda took the risk by escaping Dr. Flint but she didn’t run away to the North at first. She first hid at her friend Sally’s closet before going and hiding at her grandmother attic where her Uncle Philip build for her. She stayed hidden and she couldn’t see her family as badly she wants too. Sometime you have to sacrifice things to get something else. She sacrificed the want to see and touch her children so she can claim their freedom. She’ll make sure that no one can stand in her way to get what she hoped for so long. She did gain her freedom and she escaped to North where she met nice white people. At first she did have hard time trusting them but she later realize that not all white people are like the Flints there are some nice one out there it’s only up to you to open up. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce helped Linda with everything to gain her and her children freedom. And she’ll always be thankful to them for helping them escaping the harsh world of the South.
Love:
One of Linda strongest power was love. Love was one of the reasons she got her freedom if it wasn’t love then she’ll probably never escape. The love she got from her family the love she has for her children made her determine to stay strong and fight for her and her family life. Love can be strange but what Linda has was a family love and a mother who loved her children more than anything. The love of a mother was one of the strongest that Dr. Flint couldn’t break down. No matter what he did, for example threw her son across the room, threat her and her children will be separated and worse, but it didn’t stop her. She held her head high and followed her heart that she strongly believes that it’ll break. Her grandmother and her brother was her strength to fight Dr. Flint. They’ll always be there for no matter what and there was Mr. Sand her children father. She might not have loved him but she cared enough for him because he was nice and generous toward her and her family. Love come in different shape and size but for Linda it was enough to fight for her and her children freedom.
Literary Elements:
Allusion:
The allusion in this story is Nat Turner who is the rebellious civil right. Linda talks about after math of what happen in the community of the Nat Turner insurrection. Nat Turner is a famous historical figure for the slaves because he was one if the slave to stand up to the whites. He fought for what he believes; the fact that he is Christian and he has the same right as any other Christian by believing and reading the same bible. He teaches about brotherhood and moral love for men and women who are Christian. Nat Turner was a strong and great leader that showed the slaves to stand up and that’s what Linda did she stood up to her master.
Irony:
The irony in this story is that Linda strong believes is that she should be true and strong to her virtuous and womanhood, but she gave up all of those so she can escape Dr. Flint. The irony part is that she always thought that if she kept her virtuous then she can always fight off Dr. Flint. Knowing that she probably will never trust another white man ever again but she goes off and gets pregnant with another white man. Knowing that Linda is strong and she could have fought Dr. Flint but she was scared and thought that by getting pregnant with Mr. Sand will tick him off. And her plan worked it did outraged Dr. Flint but she went against her own word. The one thing she had that was dearly close her is lost and knowing this she can’t fight Dr. Flint with same level.
Tone:
The tone in this story is strong and determine. Its’ strong and determine because Harriet Jacobs as known as Lind Brent, wants her readers to know the hardship and the torture all the slaves as to go through. Her tone was strong and she made sure that her reader knows that she doesn’t want their sympathy or pity, but just to acknowledge what her and her kind has to go though before she can claim her freedom.
Annotated Bibliography:
Jacobs, Harriet. Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl. New York: Signet Classic, 2000
Harriet Jacobs’s Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl goes by a fictitious name Linda Brent to reveal truth about what the slaves goes through. It’s her personal stories enslavement, sexual harassment and dehumanization. It’s the first slave narrative story that was written from a slave point of view. She shares the world of darkness and poverty of all slaves. With the entire thing she had to face, she managed to escape to the north, reunite with her children and get her freedom. Jacobs’s Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl is an outstanding piece literature that showed an extraordinary example how slaves women have courage to stand fight for what they stand for.
