104 pages • 3 hours read
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176
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Southern United States • 19th century
1861
Dover Publications
Adult
18+ years
740L
In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, who calls herself "Linda Brent" in the narrative, Jacobs describes her life as an enslaved woman in the Southern United States, detailing her efforts to escape the sexual harassment of her owner, Dr. Flint, and her eventual flight to the North where she secures her freedom and reunites with her children. The memoir addresses themes of sexual abuse, exploitation, and the struggle for autonomy.
Melancholic
Informative
Unnerving
Inspirational
64,050 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs receives widespread acclaim for its poignant and powerful depiction of the female experience under slavery. Reviews praise Jacobs' bravery and compelling narrative. Criticisms include occasional disjointed storytelling, yet the book's emotional and historical impact overshadows these minor flaws.
Readers who value Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe or The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois will be engrossed by Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. They will appreciate its firsthand perspective on slavery, resilience, and the quest for freedom detailed through personal narrative.
64,050 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
DR. FLINT (DR. JAMES NORCOM SR.)
Dr. Flint is a physician and plantation owner who, for practical purposes, owns Jacobs. He is depicted as cowardly, sadistic, and jealously possessive, attempting to force Jacobs into submission.
MRS. FLINT
Mrs. Flint is Dr. Flint's wife, known for her hatred toward Black people and particular contempt for Jacobs. She embodies the resentment Southern slaveholding women directed at the enslaved.
GRANDMOTHER MARTHA
Jacobs’s grandmother, Martha, is her closest companion and counselor. Born into slavery and later freed, she is known for her cooking talents and uses her reputation to protect herself and her family.
AUNT NANCY
Nancy is Jacobs’s maternal aunt, serving the Flint family as a house slave. She endured harsh treatment and is an example of the grim reality faced by house slaves.
BENJAMIN
Jacobs’s Uncle Benjamin is noted for his strength and independence, attempting to escape from slavery multiple times despite the consequences.
WILLIAM (JOHN S. JACOBS)
Jacobs’s brother William accompanies their owner to the Northeast, where he claims his freedom. He reunites with Jacobs in New York and aids in the education and care of her children.
MR. SANDS (SAMUEL TREADWELL SAWYER)
Mr. Sands is a White neighbor and the father of Jacobs’s children, Benny and Ellen. He initially promises to help Jacobs gain freedom, illustrating the complex relationships within the system of slavery.
THE TWO MRS. BRUCES
The first Mrs. Bruce is Jacobs’s employer in New York, treating her as an equal and providing a safe environment. The second Mrs. Bruce continues the relationship and arranges to purchase Jacobs, ultimately securing her freedom.
176
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Southern United States • 19th century
1861
Dover Publications
Adult
18+ years
740L
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