There are various accounts in the world in which the setting or time period plays an infinite roll, but in Harriet Jacobs, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”, and Rebecca Davis’s “Life in the Iron Mills”, the characters make all the difference. From the amazing role of Hugh Wolfe, to the vital words from Harriet Jacobs, we will explore how these stories have shaped our past, present, and future. Most people have experienced challenges in life that cause them to either act or suppress those times as if they did not happen. In Harriet Jacobs’ case, she chose to take her experiences and place them at the core of her existence, in order to press for change. On the other hand, Rebecca Davis was able to illustrate the distinct differences between upper class and lower class lifestyles.
To begin, we must first explore the similarities and differences …show more content…
In the Southern states, slaves were forced to work and received no compensation. Being a slave meant you were often disrespected, demoralized, and detested. Trying to escape was not an option and surviving alone was difficult. Harriet Jacobs, writing as Linda Brent, gave an intimate view of what it meant to be a slave in the mid 1800’s. Linda earned no wages for her hard work, and could have received “thirty-nine lashes” just for knowing how to read (Jacobs). Linda experienced far less physical discomfort than many other slaves; however, she was a victim psychological pain due to the fact that she was seen as nothing more than a piece of property. It is hard to believe that Jacobs 's contemporaries would have to be convinced of the natural wrongness of owning another person. In “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”, Jacobs clearly explained and helped us gain an understanding of self-assertion, family bond, unity, dependence, resistance, equality, and