The Dehumanization Inherent in Slavery - Case Study Example

Moreover, these women were denied the right to bond, nurture and care for their babies. Indeed fact, it was not unusual but common for the plantation master to satisfy his desires with his female slaves and force them to bear his offspring. As Linda points out, children from such unions were often sold to protect the honor and dignity of the slaveholder's wife, who would otherwise be forced to face the undeniable evidence of her husband's lust. Notably, in an attempt to further humanize these victims, she addressed the women of the North, desperately trying to show them that unless they spoke out in protest, they were just as guilty as Southern slaveholders of supporting and perpetuating the system of slavery.

In short, apathy towards the act of slavery is just as horrendous as the act itself. We immediately see the human calling in this piece because from the beginning, Jacobs identifies herself as a slave girl. She maintains focus on her female gender. Because she refers to herself as "a slave girl," she implies-and later states explicitly-that she is speaking not only for herself but also for her sisters still in bondage. Truth be told, this is actually a documentary. In furtherance of Jacobs' establishment of her own status as a person and to make a case against the dehumanization inherent in slavery, Linda continues to exist in this tortured world.

Linda could have left her master. As the story progresses we learn that Linda actually had many opportunities to escape. Determined, she chooses to give up her freedom and her own life to save her children. This is the natural choice of a mother. Thus despite the continued abuses suffered by Linda, she presented her story not just as a woman but as a mother. Finally, it is apparent that Jacobs was determined to convince the world of the devastating and dehumanizing impact of slavery on women.

In so doing, she let us see the impact from several perspectives. We see it as a female, and as a girl growing into a woman. Further adding to the experience, we see her as a mother and as one who has the daily risk of losing her babies to the plantation owner that raped her. It is sickening that a woman had to fear one of the most important parts of her life, the beauty of being pregnant. Indeed, perhaps Jacobs transcends human nature because while many of the children of these poor slave women were the result of involuntary sex, it did not interfere with the immediate maternal instinct.

It is all of these moments that bring Jacobs' perspective.