English Literature – Unit Four

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl – Harriet Jacobs

INCIDNETS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL:
 Autobiography: personal account of someone’s life written by that person.
 Elements of autobiography: written in 1st POV, detailed events (imagery to
visualize), subjective perspective (reflect feelings and opinions), utilizes direct and
indirect characterization, theme.

 Slave narrative: firsthand account written or retold by a former slave to highlight the
suffering and hardships of slavery.

 Characterization: the process the author uses to analyze and reveal the personality of
characters.

 Types of characterization:
 Direct Characterization: the author directly states the personality of a character.
 EX: he is handsome and respectful.

 Indirect Characterization: the author doesn’t state the personality directly but helps
reveal it to the readers through different procedures (STEAL).
 STEAl: speech, thoughts, effect on others (relationships), actions and looks.

 Plot: sequence of events that make up the story.

 Elements of Plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

 Conflict: problem of the story.

1. Internal Conflict: a struggle within a character.

2. External Conflict: a struggle between a character and an outside force.

 Theme: fight for freedom.

 Vocabulary:
1. Proposition: plan suggested for acceptance; a proposal.
2. Induced: led or moved, as to a course of action, by influence or persuasion.
3. Provocation: the act of provoking or inciting.
4. Tidings: information or news.
5. Compelled: forced (a person) to do sth; drove or constrained.
6. Reckless: heedless or careless, rash.

Diction: sophisticated

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 Make an inference about the content of the chapters from their titles?
The Flight: how and why she escaped, and the struggles or conflicts she faced.
Months of Peril: Jacobs facing hardships and suffering during her journey to freedom.

 What do you infer about Mrs. Flint’s motives for not letting Linda bring her bed
inside the house? What does this tell you about the role of a house slave? (P.1)
 Mrs. Flint refuses that Linda brings her bed with her to maintain her won comfort and
status at the expense of Linda’s well-being and she defended her position by claiming
that Linda’s bed would scatter feather and create a mess.
 The real motive of not allowing Linda to bring her bed is because she wants her
to sleep on the floor as a way of humiliating her.
 By not allowing Linda to bring her bed inside, Mrs. Flint was making it clean
that Linda was not seen as an equal and was not entitled to the same comforts as
the white family.
 This also highlights the stark difference in treatment and living conditions between a
house slave and a field slave.
 House slaves were typically given more privileges and were expected to perform
domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning, while field slaves were
responsible for manual labor in the fields.
 However, even as a house slave, Linda was not given the same level of respect
or consideration as the white family members.
 This demonstrates the persuasive and systemic nature of slavery, where even
those who are deemed to be in a relatively privileged position were still subject
to the whims of their masters and mistresses.
 The role of a house slave symbols the racism, mal treatment and dehumanization
that was spreading among Southern Americans.

 How does Jacobs’ perspective as a mother influence her decision to run away? (P.1)
 As a mother, Linda’s primary concern was the safety and well-being of her children.
 She couldn’t bear the thought of her children being subjected to the same
treatment and abuse that she had experienced as a slave, especially at the hands
of her master.
 She knew that if she stayed, her children would be at risk of being sold or used as
leverage against her.
 Linda’s decision to run away was driven by her maternal instinct to protect her
children and provide them with a better life.
 She was willing to risk her won safety and face the dangers of running away
because she believes it was the only way to ensure a better future for her family.
 Additionally, Linda knew that is she could escape to a place where slavery was
not legal, she could work towards securing her and the children’s freedom.
 It is a powerful example of the sacrifices mother are willing to make for their children,
even in the most difficult and challenging circumstances.
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 What relationships, institutions and forces in Jacobs’ life seem to have had the
greatest influence on her actions? (P.2)
 Many significant factors influenced Linda on her actions and drive her to take great
risks in order to achieve her goals and gain freedom:
 Linda’s love for her children was a driving force behind her actions, as she was
determined to protect them from the horrors of slavery and ensure their freedom.
This led her to take great risks, including hiding in a small attic for seven years, in
order to escape slavery and reunite with her children.
 Her desire for freedom was also a powerful motivator, as she was determined to
live a life free from the constraints of slavery. This desire led her to seek the help of
sympathetic whites, to escape to the North, and to fight for the abolition of slavery.
 Jacob’s faith in God was also a vital factor and a guidance force in her life. She
believed that God would help her in her struggle for freedom as he was watching
over her. She relied on her faith to give her strength during difficult times as it gave
her hope to persevere in the face of great adversity.

 What effect does Sally’s dialect have on the narrative? What does Sally’s dialect
indicate about the difference in education within the slave’s community? (P.3)
 Dialect is the local variation of a spoken language.
 The effect of Sally’s dialect on the narrative is to add authenticity, credibility and
realism to the story as it makes it a life-like narrative, to get accustomed to the slaves’
dialect and to highlight the difference in the slaves’ community as some were allowed
to receive education while others were deprived from it. By using dialect, Linda is
able to convey the distinct voices and experiences of enslaved people she is writing
about, giving them a sense of individuality and humanity.
 Sally’s dialect in the passage indicates that she is likely not highly educated as most
slaves were illiterate. Her use of nonstandard grammar, broken pronunciation and
vocabulary suggests that she has had limited access to formal education unlike Linda.

 Identify the character traits of Linda and support it with evidence?

 Responsible.
 Risk taker.
 Religious.

 Identify the conflicts and support it with evidence? (P.1-3)

 “I feared the sight of my children would be too much for my full heart”:
 Linda vs her internal thoughts about leaving her kids or not.
 “His wife said I mustn’t bring my bed into the house”:
 Issue of slavery vs humiliation from the slave master which indicates the social
status in America at that time.
 Linda vs father of the kids/ Linda vs slavery.

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 Change words in paragraph five form colloquial to the standard?
 “No, chill, no” answered she. “When they finds you is gone, they won’t want the plague
of the children; but where is you going to hide? They knows every inch of this house.”

 Identify the character traits of Mr. Flint?

 Cruel/Violent/ Threatening: he threatens to give his slaves 500 lashes if he found out
they had any involvement in Linda’s escape as this demonstrates his willingness to use
physical punishment to maintain control and instill fear in those under his power.
 Manipulative/Suspicious: he watched the grandma’s face expressions as he accused
her of knowing sth about Linda’s escape, despite her assurance that she did not.
 Racist/Disrespectful: he used the word niggers in describing the A.A slaves.

 Identify the conflicts in paragraphs (7-12)?

a. Linda vs Dr Flint. (external): Linda is trying to escape from Dr. Flint, who has been
sexually harassing her and abusing her physically as a slave.
i. Dr. Flint is determined to catch her and bring her back as he searched her grandma’s
house and posted a reward ad.
b. Linda vs Society (external): Linda is a runaway slave and she is breaking the law.
i. The law prohibits ppl from harboring or employing runaway slaves as there is a
penalty for doing so.
c. Linda vs Her internal thoughts: she is torn between her desire for freedom and her love
for her children.
i. She knows that her escape will cause trouble for her grandma and children.
ii. Evidence: the doctor’s threat to take her children if her grandam doesn’t become
responsible for them.
d. Linda vs society (external): Linda is in a hostile environment where she cant trust any.
i. She cannot send a message to her grandma because everyone who goes in or out of
her house is being watched.
 Extract vernacular or colloquial language from paragraphs (7-12)?
 Gwine: going and em: them.
 What are the procedures and actions Mr. Flint took in order to find Linda? And
why? (P.11)
 He was inspecting everyone searching everywhere (grandma’s house).
 He sat a lockdown on everyone.
 He searched every vessel going to or coming from the North.
 He informed the authority and police to look for her
 He published a poster with the description a reward for whom can find her.
 Losing a slave will lower his rank in the society as it is a kind of disgrace.
 It will encourage other slaves to run away.
 They are very important since they are a part of the slave master’s property.
 This emphasizes how slave masters can go far to get a slave back.

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 What words did Linda use to describe her actions? What does this tell you about her
character traits?
 She is religious and grateful for being protected when she mentioned: “I thanked my
Father for this safe retreat”.
 Satisfied and happy, “I felt a gleam of satisfaction” bc she saw Flint but he couldn’t.
 Cunning; mischievous; foxy: “I had outwitted him and triumphed over it. Who can
blame slaves for being cunning?”
 Overjoyed: “I was for the present the most fortunate slave in town”.

 Write some of the hardships Linda narrated and faced? (P.14-15)

 Linda’s children along with her brother William and aunt were thrust into jail as a
means of compelling her relatives to give information about her.
 Linda feared for the safety of her children and was agonized by the thought of them
being in a loathsome jail.
 Linda was in pain to think that her good old aunt, who had always been so kind to her
sister’s orphan children, should be shut up in prison for no other crime than loving them.
 Linda’s brother warned her not to come to them, as it would ruin them all and put her
life in danger.
 Linda’s children remained in jail for a month, where William did all he could for their
comfort and Betty would bring her tidings of them.

 Identify the internal struggles or conflicts? (P.14-15)

 Linda’s hope that her children be sold to someone who would treat them kindly rather
than suffer in jail, yet at the same time, the thought of losing them is agonizing to her.
 “I was daily hoping to hear that my master sold my children for I knew who was on
to watch to buy them. I am the cause of their death? The thought was agonizing.”.
 Linda wants to go and free her children from jail, but she is scared she might cause
harm to them by revealing her hiding place.
 “My first impulse was to go to them. I was encountering dangers for the sake of
freeing them and now I must be the cause of their death?”.
 Linda is worried about her aunt who has been imprisoned for taking care of her
children and is experiencing guilt for causing her family members to suffer bc of her.
 “But it added to my pain to think that the good old aunt, should be in prison for no
crime than loving them”
 Linda is afraid that her emotions might cause her to act recklessly and harm her family
members, so she is trying to keep quiet and follow her friend’s advice.
 “I suppose my friends feared a reckless movement on my part, knowing, as they
did, my life was bound up in my children.”

 Rewrite the last quotation by correcting grammar and substituting

colloquial/vernacular dialect with standard English language? (P.15)
 “Lord, child!” What are you crying about? These young ones will kill you dead. Don’t
be so coward! If you do, you will never get through this world”.
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P Quotation Summary

Metaphor: to compare the journey of freedom to

a flight.

Why did she escape? She learned that her

1 “The Flight” children were going to be sent to the plantation
to be sold, and she feared that she would lose
control over them. She was determined to protect
her children so decided to escape to avoid being
separate and to secure their freedom.

How did she escape? She escaped secretly at

night while everyone is asleep and hid at a
friend’s house

EG: Mr. Flint wants Linda to move from the

salves quarter to another room, while Linda
“Mr. Flint wished that I wants to take her bed with her.
should sleep in the great
1 Mrs. Flint refuses that Linda brings her bed with
house instead of slaves’
her on the excuse of scattering feathers and
quarter. His wide said I
making a mess
mustn’t bring my bed,
because it would scatter The real motive of not allowing her to bring her
feathers. ” bed is because she wants her to sleep on the floor
as a way of humiliating her.

“I was certain my children What motivated Linda to leave? Her fear on

, were to be put in their power, her children since she is a caring mother
in order to give them a
1 stronger hold on me, I
Indirect Characterization: caring mother.
decided to leave”

“How fervently I prayed that

2 God would not forsake me in Indirect Characterization: she is religious.
this hour of utmost need”

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 Indirect Characterization: she is a risk taker,
daring, adventurous and valiant.
“I was about to risk on the
2 throw of a die and if I failed Indirect Characterization: she caring and
what would become of me kind mother as well as responsible.
and my children? They
should be made to suffer for Highlights Internal conflict: inside Linda’s
my fault” mind whether to leave her kids and achieve
her own freedom or to stay with her kind and
remain under slavery depends on her courage.

“I stole softly down stairs, I

stopped thinking I heard a Mood: suspense, gloomy and ominous
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noise, I looked out of the
Indirect Characterization: she is religious and
window. I breathed a prayer
faithful.
to God for guidance and
protection”

“I arrived at my grandma’s
house but wouldn’t see her. EG: she went to her grandma’s house but didn’t
3 dare to talk to her because she won’t be happy
She would say Linda you’re
killing me” seeing her escaping.

“I tapped at the window

3 occupied by Sally. I knew Direct Characterization
she was faithful and trusted”

“Your grandmother is trying EG: to imitate the slang language of the slaves.
to buy you and de chillern. Colloquial words
3
He tole her he was away on
business. Your grandma is all Sally is illiterate as she relied on slang word
bowed down wid trouble” since she didn’t receive education like Linda.

3 “Your grandma is all bowed Idiom: Linda will make the situation worse if
down with trouble now” she escaped and ran away.

“They are going to carry my Real motive to escape: they are planning to take
children to the plantation her children to plantation and the risk of that is
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tmr; and they will never sell worse and harder living conditions for them as
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 them to anybody so long as they could be sold.
they have me in their power”

Uses of dialogues: to identify the characters’

5 Dialogue btw Sally and Linda personalities and traits, and to know about their
motives and actions.

Why didn’t she inform her friend although

“Where is you going to hide? she is faithful and trust worthy? In case she
6 I told her I had a place and gets pressured and forced or tortured and have to
that was best for her” tell them about her hide place.

Internal conflict: even though is going to

“I feared the sight of my escape, she is worried about leaving her children
6 children would be too much behind.
for my full heart.” Indirect Characterization: caring and loving
mother.

Internal conflict
“Memories of their father Mood: painful, sympathetic.
6 came over me, I kissed them
lightly and turned away” Distinction from her and their father: their
father wanted to be kind, but they weren’t his
first priority unlike Linda.

“Linda, is you gwine all

alone? Let me call ur uncle.” Colloquial word: going.
7

“No, I want no one to be into STEAL: dialogue and conversation.

8 trouble on my account” Indirect Characterization: responsible/careful.

“I went forth in darkness and

9 rain and ran on till I came to EG: she left Sally to a new friend’s house where
the house of friend who was she could hide.
to conceal me”

STEAL: action.
Indirect Characterization: smart/suspicious.
“Mr. Flint was looking for
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10 me in my grandma’s house,
he watched her faced EG: while talking to her grandma, he was
narrowly examining her face’s expression to investigate
her to know whether she knows anything or not.

“We had treated her very Indirect Characterization: liar/hypocrite

10 kindly, and my wife liked her manipulative and cruel.

Colloquial word: em.

“If I find out that any of my Indirect Characterization: racist/mean/cruel
0 niggers have had anything to and threatening her by wiping.
do with this damned
business, I’ll give em 500 External conflict: grandam vs Mr. Flint.
lashes”

EG: the news about her escape made Mr. Flint

“The tidings made the old mad. After talking nicely with her grandma and
doctor rave and storm at a found it useless, he searched the house from top
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furious rate. My grandma’s to bottom.
house was searched”
Mood: suspense and tense

“Knowing how distressed my Internal conflict: Linda wants to comfort her

11 grandam would be, I wanted granny but doesn’t want anyone to get in trouble
to send her a message”

“An intelligent, bright, Imagery

mulatto girl names Linda, 21
12
yo, 5’4 ft long, dark eyes and Direct Characterization: intelligent.
black curly hair, spot on Indirect Characterization: describing looks.
front teeth”

“I rushed from the house into

the bushes, I was bitten by Conflict: liar/hypocrite manipulative and cruel.
12
poisonous snake”

“Give me liberty or give me Allusion: Patrick Henry’s speech in the

12 death” American Rev.

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 “I thanked the Father for this Comparison: compared escape to a retreat.
13 safe retreat”

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