Harriet Jacobs

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Harriet Jacobs

About the Author

Born in 1813, she escaped from slavery to become a prominent abolitionist speaker and reformer.  She published her novel under the pseudonym Linda Brent.  Based on her own life, her novel depicts the abuses she received at the hands of her master, Dr. James Norcom.  In her attempt to escape from slavery, she lived for seven years in the tiny crawlspace in her grandmother's attic before escaping to Philadelphia   

About Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Being one of the few slave narratives written by a female African American, the novel was targeted towards white, Christian women by exploiting the idea that slavery prevented African American women from being good Christians.  The novel succeeded by focusing on the forced sexual abuse.  Based on her own life, Harriet Jacobs changed all the names to protect her identity.  

Dicussion Question 1

Unlike Frederick Douglass' Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Harriet Jacobs is unable to show how slavery was oppressive to ones manhood, and focused on regaining such manhood. How is the fact she is a woman so very significant in writing a slave narrative? How many other African American women wrote slave narratives and what are the differences in theme and style between slave narratives written by male versus female authors?

Discussion Question 2

In Chapter 10, Harriet Jacobs remarks "Pity me, and pardon me, O virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of a chattel, entirely subject to the will of another." Jacobs has to prove that her sexual experiences and "sins" were not her fault and she should not be condemned by others unless they have been victimized in a similar fashion. Why were such remarks considered so radical at the time?

Classified Ad posted by Jacobs'
master, offering a reward for her apprehension

Fact 1

After having escaped, Harriet Jacobs was informed that her mistress's husband was nearby. Unbeknownst to her, Cornelia Willis paid Daniel Messmore $300 for the rights to Harriet Jacobs and proceeded to set her free.


An online version of the novel can be found here.