Understanding Slave Narratives: African American Lit
Understanding Slave Narratives
Slave narratives depict of a time in history where African American were suffering from a cruel life of servitude. Olauduh Equiano and Harriet Jacobs both describe the events of their lives in their narratives. Equiano degrades himself in “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauduh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself.” Jacobs refuses to submit to the chains of slavery. They both have powerful messages in their stories that they want to convey to their readers about slavery. Equiano and Jacobs come from two different time periods of slavery. They have completely different writing styles. As many would say, Jacobs and Equiano are completely different authors in the ways they used to convey their messages. Harriet Jacobs comes from the final era of slavery. Even though her story “Incidents of a Slave Girl” makes seem like a work of fiction, but she writes about her life through an assumed name of Linda Brent. Jacobs wrote this narrative to shed some light on the victimization of female slaves at the hand of their white masters. Female slaves suffered more than male slaves. Male slaves were only beat, but female slaves were beaten and raped. Jacobs describes a horrible realization in her life,
He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such only a vile monster would think of. I turned from him in disgust and hatred. But he was my master. I was compelled to live under the same roof with him—where I saw a man forty years my senior daily violating the most sacred commandments of nature. He told me I was his property; that I must subject to his will in all things. (216)
For Jacobs to accomplish conveying her message, she was truthful in the events she described to show the world that female slaves fought to keep what little freedom they had within slavery; “Jacobs felt obliged to disclose through her firsthand example the special injustices that women suffered under what sentimental defenders of slavery
Slave narratives depict of a time in history where African American were suffering from a cruel life of servitude. Olauduh Equiano and Harriet Jacobs both describe the events of their lives in their narratives. Equiano degrades himself in “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauduh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself.” Jacobs refuses to submit to the chains of slavery. They both have powerful messages in their stories that they want to convey to their readers about slavery. Equiano and Jacobs come from two different time periods of slavery. They have completely different writing styles. As many would say, Jacobs and Equiano are completely different authors in the ways they used to convey their messages. Harriet Jacobs comes from the final era of slavery. Even though her story “Incidents of a Slave Girl” makes seem like a work of fiction, but she writes about her life through an assumed name of Linda Brent. Jacobs wrote this narrative to shed some light on the victimization of female slaves at the hand of their white masters. Female slaves suffered more than male slaves. Male slaves were only beat, but female slaves were beaten and raped. Jacobs describes a horrible realization in her life,
He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such only a vile monster would think of. I turned from him in disgust and hatred. But he was my master. I was compelled to live under the same roof with him—where I saw a man forty years my senior daily violating the most sacred commandments of nature. He told me I was his property; that I must subject to his will in all things. (216)
For Jacobs to accomplish conveying her message, she was truthful in the events she described to show the world that female slaves fought to keep what little freedom they had within slavery; “Jacobs felt obliged to disclose through her firsthand example the special injustices that women suffered under what sentimental defenders of slavery
Cited: Equiano, Olaudah. "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauduh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself." Trans. Array The Norton Anthology of African American literature. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. First edition. New York, N.Y.: W.W Norton & Company, Inc., 1997. 140-164. Print. Gates Jr., Henry, and Nellie McKay. The Norton of African American Literature. First edition. New York, N.Y.: W.W Norton & Company, Inc., 1997. 207. Print Jacobs, Harriet. “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl." Trans. Array The Norton Anthology of African American literature. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. First edition. New York, N.Y.: W.W Norton & Company, Inc., 1997. 209-239. Print.