Question Home

Position:Home>Books & Authors> Tell me what you know about Harriet Jacobs' book "Incidents in the life


Question: Tell me what you know about Harriet Jacobs' book "Incidents in the life of a slave girl"!.!?
Do you find some of it hard to believe!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I had to read it for my Southern Literature class!.
It is hard for me to believe that Linda escaped the advances of Mr!.Flint!. We know all too well that if a slave owner wanted to sleep with his slave he did not have to ask, much less bribe her!. The slaves had no law enforcement on their side!. The slave owners could kill them and it would have no consequence!. What is rape compared to that!? Rape was common practice between the slave owners and their female slaves in that era!. I absolutely think Linda re-wrote history on that aspect!. It would not surprise me if her children really were Mr!. Flints!. Mr!. Sands could very easily be a fictional character, totally made up!. Or even if he was real it does not change the fact that it was in her and her children's best interest to lie if Mr!. Flint was in fact the father!.
And what are the odds that she had TWO childen by Mr!. Sands!? If Mr!. Flint was as determined as Linda says he was, he would not have given her a chance to be around another man to get pregnant a second time!. So if by chance she was telling the truth about the first child, most likely the second one would be Mr!. Flints!. But I personally think they are both his!. I just don't think Linda had as much free will as she claims as a slave!.
She makes it very clear why she would have done this!. Her grandmother's shame!. That was one thing I really did not understand is why her grandmother disowned her for thinking Linda gave in to Flint!. Just like I said, in those times, Linda didn't have a whole lot of say so in the matter!. Surely her grandmother, being a slave herself, realized that!. Another reason she would have lied about who her childrens father really was, was MRS!. Flint!. Her jealousy could have made her very unstable making Linda's security unknown!. Much less what would have happened to her children if Mrs!. Flint thought they were the offspring of her husband!. (Keep in mind here that slave owners had the right to kill their own slaves, wouldn't you lie if you were in Linda's position!?)!.
Other than that, I don't think she had a reason to lie about anything else!. Really everything else was pretty mild compared to what most slaves went through!. Linda spent the majority of her time on hiding!. or running from Mr!. Flint ( in the latter part of the book)!. Nothing to really lie about!.
Hope I helped you!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com