The Jezebel archetype was often an identity forced upon the slave women of the American south by their white masters. The Jezebel and other ideological influences have been studied by scholars like Deborah Gray White in order to discern their exact impact on the lives of those slave women. The few female slave narratives that exist, like the antebellum account of Harriet Jacobs, detail experiences with this gendered form of slavery in which the decisions and attitudes of the white masters / overseers were based around the false assumptions of slave sexuality. The Jezebel persona credited them with being sexually permissive, fueled by desire, and without the dignity of their white counterparts. While little to none of these characteristics are …show more content…
Flint also presented as a controlling and dangerous character in the narrative as she became increasingly resentful towards Harriet. At one point in chapter five, she forces Harriet to swear on the bible and tell her everything that has happened with Dr. Flint (Jacobs 31). She initially promises to protect Harriet but soon uses her as a weapon against her husband. Mrs. Flint tells her husband that Harriet has confessed their affair to her in order to trick Dr. Flint into a false confession. Harriet is now in danger of Dr. Flint’s wrath at the accusations and Mrs. Flint’s wrath if she believes Harriet has lied about her innocence. This precarious situation is the product of Mrs. Flint’s conflicting views about Harriet and the Jezebel. On the one hand, she is sympathetic to Harriet’s plight as a woman and victim of Dr. Flint’s manipulation. As White points out, the wives of slave owners were unable “to defy the social and legal constraints that kept them bound to their husbands regardless of his transgressions” (White 41). On the other hand, she views Harriet as the instigator of Flint’s sexual advances since she is a slave woman. To Mrs. Flint, slave women were lewd temptresses determined to undermine the marriage vows of their more pure mistresses. As White points out, white mistress “felt stifled by the sexual straight jacket they were forced to wear…..they often became convinced that black women had unlimited sexual freedom” (White 41). Mrs. Flint represents the dichotomy of expectations put on slave women to adhere to the cult of true womanhood and the Jezebel archetype. Her interactions with Harriet and her treatment of her throughout the novel are shaped by these waring ideologies, therefore influencing Harriet’s experiences in
In the autobiographical writings Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs’ reflects on the times that her master Dr. Flint consistently tried to molest her sexually. In spite of her fears of horrible repercussions such as beatings or torture if she refuses to submit to him, Harriet always manages to evade his proposals to become his mistress by out-smarting him. She defends herself from his numerous attempts to seduce her, by the power of her mental strength and intelligence, and her Christian morality. While she fears him each time he secretly approaches her with his sexual propositions when he caught her alone, she could always think of ways to protect herself. For example she protects herself from the dangers of his sexual advances by removing herself from the master’s presence any opportunity she gets. She sometimes stays with her grandmother or aunt at night to protect herself from him. They are both Dr. Flint’s former slaves too who live on the plantation where she lives. Even though he threatens to kill her if she tells anyone, she tells his wife about his sexual advances, and Mrs. Flint invites Harriet to sl...
A recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobs's reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and beaten regularly like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually, Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to perform other tasks associated with a ?ladies? work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes were actually her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet became a prospective concubine for Dr. Norcom. She points out that life under slavery was as bad as any slave could hope for. Harriet talks about her life as slave by saying, ?You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another.? (Jacobs p. 55).
emphasizes the concept that colored women had been oppressed and time after time did not receive any sort of reconciliation. White explains how it is quite difficult to find specific facts on what colored women withstood at the time but when you look actively enough, you will surely find it. White clarifies the two major archetypes that colored women were forced to identify with. The first being Jezebel, the highly inappropriate and submissive character, was created from the white man’s distorted view on colored women’s clothing choice which women chose in order to comfortably work in the most efficient way. Many of the women worked in the outdoor heat which led to them rolling up their tops and bottoms in order to avoid overheating which would lead to the slowing down of their work. The second archetype, that of Mammy, was created to comfort white women in a way. The slave owners wanted to be reassured that the slaves were equipped and efficient. White indicates that the Mammy slaves were not liked for long as they were contracting the notion that white women were of any use in their own
...f Jacobs’s narrative is the sexual exploitation that she, as well as many other slave women, had to endure. Her narrative focuses on the domestic issues that faced African-American women, she even states, “Slavery is bad for men, but it is far more terrible for women”. Therefore, gender separated the two narratives, and gave each a distinct view toward slavery.
Few years later, the mistress died and Linda was sent to Dr. Flint. Dr. Flint abuses his power as a slave owner to get what he wants, such as trying to get Linda to sleep with him. Another example of him abusing his power is when Linda stated, “I was made for his use, made to obey his command in everything; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his…” However, Linda had no intention of submitting to Dr. Flint’s control. Although Dr. Flint owns her body, she can still remain spiritually free. She lives in a time of slavery, but she still hold the hopeful thought of someday of being really free. Linda was different among all the slaves. She has the power to control her life in a way. She had an affair with a white neighbor and has two kids. However, because she was afraid Dr. Flint would do something to her kids after he finds out, she decides to hide in the attic for seven years. During those seven years, Dr. Flint spent countless of days and money to track her. This shows Dr. Flint has a deeper feeling towards Linda rather than just a slave. Linda have lived her life in confinement, yet she does not give up hoping one day she will provide a home for her
“Portraying African-American women as stereotypical mammies, matriarchs, welfare recipients, and hot mommas helps justify U.S. black women’s oppression” (Patricia Hill Collins, Feminist Thought Sister Citizen 51). In early American history, racial stereotypes played a significant role in shaping the attitude African Americans. Stereotypes such a mammy, jezebel, sapphire and Aunt Jemimah were used to characterize African American women. Mammy was a black masculine nursemaid who was in charge of the white children. The stereotype jezebel, is a woman who wants sex all the time. White Americans saw black women as loose, oversexed and immoral. This stereotype still lives today because men especially whites look for black women to be their prostitutes.
relationship with him. For many years Linda fought against his power by refusing to have sexual relations with him as he threatens her time and time again. It appeared that the only time he ever offered any sort of kindness to her was in order to get her to have sex with him. Yet again, Linda refuses to allow Dr. Flint’s pressure to control her. This is when the reader starts to understand the impact that Linda’s parents made on her when teaching her the importance of self-worth. Linda never allowed Dr. Flint to degrade her, but instead uses it as a tool to move forward. Slave experiences read in class, such as “Memories of a Brutal Institution” were different, because instead of masters asking for consent as a way to control their slaves,
There were many different issues that factored in shaping the lives and experiences of women in the time periods we have discussed. One such factor was Race, which was a very served to draw a divide among the female community. Among the sources we have examined in class, there is no greater source that showcases this divide then Harriet Jacobs biography, Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl. Writing under the name of Linda Brent, Jacobs, among other topics, details the hierarchy that is created between female slaves and their mistresses. This is displayed through the character of Mrs. Flint, who as a white woman is able to hold power and control over her slaves. Mrs. Flint is viewed among her peers as a good wealthy Christian woman, but towards
They were not capable of surviving on their own without white guidance (Boston). Dr. Flint, the master over the plantation where Harriet Jacobs lived showed a great example of paternalism. He cared for Harriet but in a possessive way to which he continuously sought the woman for his personal needs. For Dr. Flint, the slaves he owned should be grateful towards him and be willing to do what he asked with no rebuttal. This wasn’t the case with Harriet.
Because of her desperate situation living on Dr. Flint’s property and fearing things would get worse, Harriet was forced to do something she wouldn’t have done under other circumstances. She had sex outside of marriage, and she conceived her first child. This did have the results she wanted. She also had to be very manipulating and cunning. Harriet would have never abandoned her children, but she was also forced to do that. This was ultimately for their own good, but it was very painful for her. She was concerned with how the community would judge her. She drew on the strength of her grandmother during these times.
The first mythology that the slave woman faced was that of Jezebel. Jezebel was in every way the counter image of the mid-nineteenth-century ideal of the Victorian lady. (White, 29) She was defined as one that explored the sexual exploitation of the African American women. The Jezebel image was seen the way it was because it was assumed African woman were naturally promiscuous, and d...
Gaudet and Dr. Flint possess. Mr. Gaudet has seemingly convinced himself that he is doing right by the word of God and that his slaves deserve to be punished, as shown by the incident involving five boys that were forced by Mr. Gaudet to do the very thing that he later punishes them for. The most amoral part about that situation is the statement that “ when he comes back to the house he will be in a fine humor, for the rest of the day” indicating that he enjoys punishing the boys (Martin 4). He does not acknowledge that the games he makes the boys play is not morally right, having this amoral trait is not surprising; the institute of American slavery, whose values were held so high by many, was morally unjust. Even though Mr. Gaudet is a fictional character, he rightfully represents the essence of historical white male slave owners, which is why Mr. Gaudet and Dr. Flint share this amoral trait. Dr. Flint shows his trait of immortality through the treatment of his young female slave, it is stated, “ He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such as only a vile monster could think of. I turned from him with disgust and hatred. But he was my master” (Jacobs 34). This wicked, immoral act that subjected a young slave girl to vile images can only be accounted for by stating that Dr. Flint has not moral restraints, or principles, when in comes to matters that involve his slaves. The initial ideas of oppression by means of slavery are the direct cause of immoral owners, as a result of the dreadful cultural norms that were created for American culture while operating on the ideals of slavery as an
The greatest distress to a slave mother was realizing that her children would inevitably inherit her status as a slave. Jacobs writes of a mother who responded to the death of her infant by thanking "God for taking her away from the greatest bitterness of life (Jacobs 16). Furthermore, when Dr. Flint, her master, hurled her son Benjamin across a room Harriet experienced a fleeting moment of panic, believing that he could potentially dead; however, when she confirms that he is alive she could not determine whether she was happy that he son survived. Harriet experienced inadequacy and doubted her femininity in times that she could not protect her children from the harsh realities of the world in which they were born.
Prior to the Civil War, slavery abounded in America and caused the suffering of many unfortunate Africans, especially the slave women. In The Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, author Harriet Jacobs describes the atrocities of slavery and the profound mental burden placed upon slave women. Jacobs proves that, because of their disproportionate trials and tragedies, slave women should not be judged to the same standard as others. Jacobs effectively uses a variety of rhetorical strategies in order to encourages her audience of white Northern women to speak out against slavery and help their enslaved black sisters in the South.
Despite Flint’s overtures, Linda is able to avoid being by the grace of her own intellect. Although her actions may seem illicit and ill-advised, like her love affair with Mr. Sands to fend off Dr. Flint, so are the repercussions if she cooperates and does nothing. Jacobs predicates that slaves suffer from the influence of the slave system on their moral development. In the text, it is evident that Linda does not condemn slaves for illegal or immoral acts such as theft or adultery, but rather saying that they usually have no other option but to behave this way. However, she also points out that slaves have no reason to develop a strong ethical sense, as they are given no ownership of themselves or final control over their actions. This is not their fault, but the fault of the slavery system that dehumanizes them. “Pity me, and pardon me, O virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of a chattel, entirely subject to the will of another” (Jacobs 49). Slaves are not evil like their masters, but important parts of their personalities are left undeveloped. She argues that a powerless slave girl cannot be held to the same standards of morality as a free