Term Paper on "Harriet Jacobs' Incidents"

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[EXCERPT] . . . .

Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is an autobiographical narrative recounting the author's journey to freedom and the impact she made on the abolitionist movement. She has no formal credentials for writing the narrative and in fact was assisted in compiling it by the abolitionist activist Lydia Maria Child. However, her personal experiences are all Jacobs needs to bring her story to the world: a heart-wrenching series of anecdotes that illustrate the horrors of slavery. Her credibility lies mainly in there having been accurate records of her life, and the entire book is comprised of her stories and personal reflection on them.

However, Jacobs wrote the book under a pseudonym, Linda Brent. It is possible that many of the details of the book have been embellished because Jacobs gave herself leeway in using a pen name. Regardless of whether the narrative is slightly tweaked for greater impact or not, the book remains one of the most captivating and compelling autobiographical slave narratives. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was published in 1861. Incidents recounted occurred since Jacobs' (Brent's) childhood in the early 1800s and through the middle of that century.

The thesis of Jacobs' narrative is explicit from the first few words: slavery is inhumane and must be abolished. She supports her thesis by describing the events of her own life, from her relatively cheerful childhood, through the horrific years she spent under the charge of the Norcoms after 1825, her motherhood, her escape, her hiding out in her grandmother's attic for seven years, and finally her freedom and work for the mainstream abolition movement. Interspersed with her narrative is o

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ccasional analysis and social commentary. Jacobs tells the story for one reason mainly: to bolster the abolitionist movement by stirring her readers. She ultimately hopes that the United States will follow suit of Western Europe, and that the South will follow the example of the North and abolish the peculiar institution.

Sources Jacobs depends on include mostly the contents of her own memory: a primary but potentially fallible source. Yet Jacobs' argument is nothing but believable for many reasons. For example, most of the events described in the book can and have been verified by scholars who re-discovered the narrative in the 1980s, as indicated in the introduction to Jacob's Incidents in the Norton Anthology of American Literature. Furthermore, any argument against slavery is a clear one, especially so long after the Civil War. However, when Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was published in 1861, slavery still existed and most Southerners felt strongly enough in favor of the institution to fight for it. Therefore, Jacobs' argument can be analyzed in terms of the impact it might have had on 19th century readers. Most readers in the 21st century will start reading Jacobs' narrative already agreeing with her central argument. The book remains an essential piece of American historical literature.

The major themes explored in Incidents include physical and sexual abuse of female slaves. Unlike narratives told by former male slaves, Incidents in the Life of a Slave… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Harriet Jacobs' Incidents" Assignment:

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Book Critique Guidelines

*This assignment is not a book review, but a critique.

The following content should be addressed, but not necessarily in the following order

1. Who is the author? What are his/her credentials?

*****¢ What makes this author credible, are they a professor or government official, or is the author also the main subject of the book?

2. When was the book published?

3. What is the time frame or setting in the book?

4. Can you identify the thesis, if so what is it?

*****¢ What is the author*****s argument or agenda? Why is the author writing the book or telling the story?

*****¢ Do you believe the argument?

5. What sources does the author depend upon most?

*****¢ Are they primary sources, secondary sources?

*****¢ If there are not sources listed then do you know if the story is fact or fiction?

6. Identify major themes in the book (i.e. escape from slavery, loss of faith, transformation of author, etc.)

7. Was this book an interesting read?

*****¢ If not, where could the author improve?

*****¢ Any significant flaws with the book?

*****¢ What did you really like about the book?

8. Place the book in historical context. Does the book reflect ideas that we have learned in class?

*****¢ How does it fit into the course? (Work in major events surrounding subject matter within the book)

*****¢ Did you come across information that was new and should be worked into the lecture material?

Additional (format-related) grade point criteria

Meets length requirements

Title page, page numbers on each page

Works cited page complete with proper requirements

Page references used must be used within the paper to support your argument, evidence, or examples. REMEMBER, citing the book means including references when making any major contribution, not just when quoting. Grammar, 10-12 pt. font

Tips to Consider:

1. If you find that you have met all the requirements but still have space to fill, then you should elaborate on the book. This includes discussing details or highlighting specific moments that caught your attention. However, aim first to meet the guidelines.

2. Do not use outside (internet) resources: Outside resources are not necessary; this is not a research paper. my grade will be penalized for including information that did not come from the book.

i have listed all book choice but you just pick any one book from this list but no other.

Book Choices

Read one of the following books and write a 3 page paper with a works cited page.

1. Chaning, Slavery

2. Craft, Running A Thousand Miles For Freedom

3 . DuBois, Feminism and suffrage: the emergence of an independent womenÂ’s movement in America, 1848-1869

4. Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

5 . Oates, Nat Turner's Rebellion

6 . McLaurin's Celia, A Slave

7 . Ruiz, The Mexican War; Was it Manifest Destiny?

8 . Stewart, Holy Warriors: The Abolitionists and American Slavery

9 .Calloway, World Turned Upside Down

10. Rakove, Declaring Rights, Brief History with Documents

11 .Barth, Lewis and Clark Expedition

12. Sklar, Women*****s Rights Emerges*****¦.Anti-Slavery

13 .Finkelman, Defending Slavery

14. Peabody, Slavery, Freedom, and Law in Atlantic World

please just use from this list pick any one book from this list.

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1. Harriet Jacobs' Incidents. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/harriet-jacobs-incidents/668816. Published 2008. Accessed October 5, 2024.

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