Analysis Of Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a story that describes the trials and events that occurred in a slave’s life throughout her journey to freedom. It was written by a former slave, known as Harriet Ann Jacobs and published in the year of 1861. Although Jacobs used fictional characters in her narrative, the events that were mentioned throughout it are actually true. In other words, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is an autobiography of the author’s life. Instead of telling her story as herself, she adopted the first person narrator approach and created the character “Linda Brent”. While reading this narrative, several songs approached my thought. Common’s Glory, Ludachris’s Runaway Love, and Shame by the R&B singer Tyrese, are three

This musical track mainly describes some emotions Brent expressed in the narrative. For example, when Brent and her brother William are sent to live with their new slave master, they were treated very cruel and harsh. Unlike their former owner, Mr. and Mrs. Flint were coldhearted and neglectful. Brent and her brother received a scolding of words, mean facial gestures, and racial treatment from them. The harsh treatment they received connects to a specific lyric of the song, when Ludachris raps, “Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises.” Along with the cruelness, Brent was often pressured to have sexual encounters with her master. In the story it states, “He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such as only a vile monster could think of” (Jacobs 134). The quote relates to this track because the rapper mentions a little girl being sexually abused by her stepdad. He describes this by saying, “Sneaking in her room while her mama’s knocked out, trying to have his way but little Lisa says ouch.” The verbal and sexual abuse, including the multiple times she hid from Mr. Flint connects to this emotional

The songs I’ve mentioned above helped me relate to the storyteller in various ways. In other words, they gave me a sense of how she felt in every trial she’s went through in her life. The songs also made me imagine the type of person she was. Although she was a slave, she was strong, bold, and determined. Connecting the musical selections to the narrative was very creative and interesting. I particularly think the way Brent related the plot was very effective. One specific detail of the story that made the plot significant is when Brent finally became a free woman. Another great detail would be when she continued to hide from Mr. Flint and he, nor his daughter, were able to capture her. These two details are significant to the plot because they unfold the story and result in Linda Brent’s goal in making her and her children