Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs (Story Map)

November 7, 2007

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs


Linda Brent: Protagonist
Dr. Flint: Antagonist

Linda Brent is the main character of this novel. She was born in 1818 as slave in North Carolina. Linda faces many incidents in her life. She was 6 years old when her mother died. Linda’s mistress Margaret Honriblow took care of her since then. When Linda turned 12 her mistress died and then Linda was willed to Honriblow’s niece. Linda was then the slave of Dr. Flint’s daughter. Dr. Flint is basically the antagonist of this novel. He always had forced Linda to have a sexual relationship with him. But Linda always refused. So Dr. Flint decided to never sell her to another owner. In depression Linda instead had a sexual relationship with Mr. Sands, her neighbor. Linda’s life became very hard afterwards. After the relationship with Mr. Sands, Linda later became a mother of Benny and Ellen. Mr. Sands had always helped Linda and their children. When Linda had escaped from Dr. Flint, Dr. Flint tried finding her at any cost. Throughout this novel in 27 years of slavery Linda tries to win freedom from slavery and Mr. Flint, for her family and her.

Setting:
The setting takes place in North Carolina. The setting time would be from 1820s–1840s. During the novel the setting also takes place in New York City, Boston and, England. Linda also spends 7 years in her grandmother’s garret. Linda hides under the kitchen floor of her friend’s house. On page 41 chapter “The Lover” it says “summer passed away, and early in the autumn.” According to this sentence from the text, the most of the story’s setting took place in the summer and then in autumn.

Vocabulary:

1- Insurrection: The act of going against a government.
2- Episcopal: Of, relating to, or involving church government by bishops.
3- Sabbath: The day of rest and worship.
4- Patriarchal: a person regarded as the father or founder of an order, class.
5- Hallelujah- a shout of joy, praise, or gratitude.

Plot: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Conclusion/Resolution:

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl introduces many characters in the beginning of the novel. Most characters are somehow related to Linda Brent the main character of this autobiography. Aunt Martha who is Linda’s grandmother, helped Linda escape. Linda’s both parents had died in this novel. Linda and her brother William both try to fight for freedom. Linda also had two uncles’ uncle Benjamin and Phillip, and one aunt named Nancy. Uncle Phillip and Aunt Nancy helped Linda escape from the south. Linda also had a sexual relationship with a white man named Mr. Sands who was her neighbor. Linda then became a mother of two children named Ellen and Benny.

The antagonist of this autobiography was mainly Dr. Flint. He has a daughter who is the owner of Linda. One rising action was when Linda runs away from Dr. Flint’s son’s plantation. She hides in her grandmother’s garret for seven years. Another can be when Linda is hiding in her friend’s house. Then Dr. Flint comes to that house to ask for Linda and if they have seen her. One falling action can be when Linda finds out that her children including her brother had been arrested because Linda ran away. Another falling action for this novel can be when Linda finds out that Mr. Sands is not taking well care of her children. He sells Ellen and also doesn’t provide well education for her. So for Linda, Mr. Sands breaks his promise for taking care of both Ellen and Benny.

The climax is when Linda is living in New York and finds out that Dr. Flint is in New York searching for her. So she heads for another state. Another climax can be when Linda tells her grandmother about her relationship with Mr. Sands. The resolution is very interesting for this autobiography. Almost at the end of the novel Linda and Fanny a white woman head for Philadelphia on a ship. They later are introduced to a man named Rev. Jeremiah Durham who invites Linda to stay with him and his family. After that Linda continues her journey to New York. Later Linda finds her daughter Ellen who was working with Mr. Sands cousin Mrs. Hobbs. Linda is helped or befriended by a lot of people during her escape. Linda with her brother William and Ellen have lived in Boston for two years. In the last chapter Linda gets a letter from her grandmother saying that Dr. Flint is dead. Mrs. Bruce buys Linda for $300. Linda then is free. After a short while Linda’s grandmother dies. Linda finally is free and lives with Mrs. Bruce and her family.

“Quotes”:

“Well, I’ll soon convince you whether I am your master, or the nigger fellow you honor so highly. If you must have a husband, you may take up with one of my slaves.”

This quote is trying to say that Linda can’t marry the person of her choice. Her master Dr. Flint is telling her that he is the one that makes the decisions for her. Linda wants to marry this free black carpenter who promises to buy her and live with her in the free states. Dr. Flint says that he will not let Linda marry a free black man. He is trying to show Linda that he is her master not the man that she wants to marry. He also tells her that if she would want to marry then she simply can marry one of his slaves.

“Put your trust in god. Be humble, my child, and your master will forgive you.”

In this quote both Benjamin and Linda’s grandmother are having a conversation.
Linda’s grandmother Aunt Martha is telling Benjamin that he should forget about everything and return to his master. She is trying to say that he should follow “gods” lead and think of himself at a lower position. If he does that then soon his master will let him come back and also forgive him. Aunt Martha is trying to tell Benjamin this, because he told her that he did not think of god when he broke away from his master. He replied by saying that he did not think of god and also forget if there is even a heaven.



Conflicts: External, internal:

Linda Brent is the main character of this autobiography. Throughout this novel she faces many conflicts. She experiences slavery for 27 years. In these years Linda fights for her freedom. One internal conflict from this novel is when Linda was Dr. Flints slave. Dr. Flint always harassed her into having a sexual relationship with him. Whenever she had lived with him she was always in fear. An external conflict is when Linda finds out that her children and William her brother are arrested by Dr. Flint. Linda ran away from Dr. Flint’s sons’ plantation. In order to find Linda he arrested her family members. Linda became aware and wanted to go back and surrender. Later Linda receives a letter from her brother William. Her brother wrote to Linda that she should continue her journey and not to worry about them. He told her that they will be fine.

Themes:

Fighting For Freedom

The theme fighting for freedom is basically what this autobiography is about. The main character Linda fights for freedom and goes through many risks. Linda wouldn’t have thought of being free if she wasn’t abused by Dr. Flint. Linda wanted a better life for her family. She wanted to educate her children Benny and Ellen. Linda got a lot of help from nice white people who didn’t believe in slavery, in this novel. They helped Linda escape from one place to another. In this novel Linda was always in fear of Dr. Flint. Linda, in this novel was mostly “running around everywhere looking for freedom.”

The Abuse of Slavery

In this novel Linda is abused many times including her family members. For example the time when Linda got her new shoes which made a lot of noise when she walked. Her mistress Dr. Flints wife told her that if she ever wore them again she would throw them into the fire. Another time can be when Dr. Flint abuses Linda for not wanting to have a sexual relationship with him. He had always tried but Linda had always refused. Also Linda was not allowed to marry someone of her choice even if she wanted to marry a free person. Dr. Flint told her that she was to only marry one of his slaves and also was to do whatever he says.

Literary Elements:

Metaphor: Page 17, chapter “The Slave Who Dared to Feel Like a Man.”

“We are dogs here; foot-balls, cattle everything that’s mean. Let them bring me back. We don’t die but once.” This is a metaphor because it is comparing two different things. In this quote Benjamin is telling Linda how slaves are treated. He tries to say that the owners treat them like dogs, other animals and mean things. So he is basically trying to compare himself as a slave to animals and other things that are not treated like human beings.





Simile: Page 95, Chapter “Scenes at the Plantation.”

“I was drilled like a disgraced soldier.” Linda is trying to say that she was forced like a dishonor soldier. Linda was being ordered from a doctor. On the other hand this sentence is a simile because two unlike things are being compared. Linda is comparing herself to a forced soldier. Linda says this because she was being forced to doing things.

Exaggeration: Page 7, Chapter “The New Master and Mistress”

“And when I call you, you should come immediately, if you have to pass through fire and water.” This quote is an exaggeration. The father who is saying the quote is trying to say that whenever he calls his children they should come to him even if they have to face the hardest thing in life. He is exaggerating about what he truly meant.

Annotated Bibliography:
Harriet, Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 1861, New York and Boston

Harriet Jacob’s autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is mainly about a main character named Linda Brent who tries to fight for freedom from slavery. She was also enslaved and fought for freedom. In this novel she talks about how she wins her freedom. She was born in 1813. Jacobs’s mother had died when she was six years old. Two years after Jacobs was freed, she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl on October 9, 1853. In this novel Linda and Jacobs have similar characteristics. Jacobs’s fathers name was Daniel Jacobs but in this piece of work Linda’s father did not have name. Jacobs’s mothers name was Delilah, but Linda Brent’s mothers name was not mentioned in this novel. Linda was born in 1818 and Jacobs was born in 1813. Linda’s brother’s name was William and Jacobs’s brother’s name was John S. Jacobs. Linda’s uncles’ names were Benjamin and Philip and Jacob’s uncles names were Joseph and Mark Ramsey. Linda’s aunt’s name was Nancy and Jacobs’s aunts’ name was Betty. By these similarities you can tell that this novel was not only based on Linda Brent’s life but also Harriet Jacobs.