Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Essay Example

“Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” shows a clear example of the inhumane abuses placed upon slaves. It was written by the slave girl herself so that the information is firsthand. The author tells about her experiences and observations about slavery. As a girl, Harriet Jacobs was blessed to have a master who treated her well. She was not sent to the farm as would any male servant would have been treated. Instead, she was taught to do household chores and even sew. Perhaps these are instances that gave her also the privilege of having been taught by her mistress to read and write.

She experienced better days compared to other slaves who would be out in the field under the heat of the sun, whipped by overseers when unable to perform well and constantly exposed to the harsh treatments of slave owners. She was even given time to play whenever her mistress perceived she was tired from sewing. This made Jacobs’ situation quite odd for a slave. She was made to enjoy little joys as a child. As a result, she perceived life better than his brother did. Initially, Jacobs fancied that someday, she could gain her freedom in a manner that is praise-worthy.

Unlike her brother who told her that gaining freedom is easier said than done, Jacobs held positive outlook in her life about her situation. Later in her life though, Jacobs proved his brother to be right when she experienced many bitter circumstances. First, she witnessed how her grandmother was cheated on about her mistress’ debt form her as well as her long-promised freedom. Luckily, her former master’s relative knew her well and therefore bought her when she had the chance to do so. When Jacobs served her new master, she became the object of her male master’s sexual abuses.

Consequently, the master’s wife despised and hated her. Being a woman and a slave, Jacobs was vulnerable to such circumstances. The situation was true in so many circumstances as revealed by the narrations of the author but she never dreamed of becoming a victim herself one day. She claims that she vowed to never degrade herself and the people that she loved in such a manner however her circumstances pressed her to use her womanhood. Perhaps because Jacobs thought when opportunity presented itself that her womanhood has been violated by her master anyway, that she would rather benefit from it.

The author met an unnamed white man to whom she willingly gave herself to and was soon to sire her son. Whatever pressures the woman might have been is of course not for people to judge or question but this shows how a woman can use whatever she has for her own benefit. Of course this is not to praise and encourage such manner of solving problems but it shows how a woman can always be armed with the benefits of being a woman. On the contrary, it is also important to mention that the author’s being a woman has been a disadvantage because she was vulnerable to sexual abuse.

It is considered in this condition that male slaves are at an advantage over their female counterparts. There have been no reported sexual abuses toward them and this makes their situation better than women and if there would have been cases, they are not at a disadvantage at all because they do not become pregnant. For the women slaves though, their affairs with the opposite sex, whether consensual or not, is difficult to hide because there was a great probability of