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INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL - WRITTEN BY HERSELF (1861) - Coggle…
INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL - WRITTEN BY HERSELF (1861)
MAIN CHARACTERS
Harriet Family
Harriet Jacobs
(Linda Brent)
She is the author of the narrative
She takes on the name Linda Brent in order to avoid recognition after its publication.
Mother
died whan Linda was young
Grandmother
she hides harriet
Flint Household
Mrs. Flint
a vicious and self-centered mistress
Dr. Flint
he constantly sexually harasses her.
her master
THEMES
WOMEN
white vs black
DEHUMANISATION
the mistress gives Linda to
her young niece
Mrs. Flint forces her to sleep in her room, where
Linda fears she might kill her.
she is constantly raped by Mr. Flint
Dr Flint threatens to send her children (father Mr
Sands)
after she escapes to NY she is under the constant threat of being taken back into slavery by Dr Flint
when he dies his daughter and son-in-law are still claiming Linda as their property
SEXUAL VIRTUE AND ABUSE
Marriage isn't respected as a strong bond
Husbands have non consensual
sexual intercourse with slave women
Masters have a lot of children with slaves
Having babies with slaves could be a method for make money for Masters, the more young they were, the more was the profit
She desires to remain pure but, since she is black, she doesn't have any right about the use of her body
PLOT SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
Linda is born into slavery in South Carolina
Her grandmother is able to buy her own freedom
Linda's 6, her mother dies
The family's mistress teaches Linda how to write
Linda's 12, the mistress dies
Linda is forced to go with her niece, Mrs Flint, and her husband
THE FLINTS
Mr Flint is sexually interested in Linda
Mrs Flint is jealous and might kill her
Mr Flint wants to build a house for Linda in the woods, far from the city
Linda searches for protection from another white man, Mr Sands
She has children with him
Mr Flint gets jealous and threatens Linda to sell her children
Linda escapes to her grandmother's house
1 more item...
FREEDOM IN NEW YORK
Linda's able to escape to New York with her children
Mr Flint still wants to take her back as his property
Linda's employer, Mr Bruce, buys her freedom to help her
However, Linda's morally against this, because she hates to pay for the freedom she knows she's entitled to