Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl

"...but the condition of a slave confuses all principles of morality, and, in fact, renders the practice of them impossible (1817)>" - Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl.

The story that Jacobs relates is one of herself trying to evade a tyrannical master's sexual advances and her keeping her purity. And the fear and hardship of living in the floor boards under a shack. Then finally having escaped to be hunted and trying to come to terms with being sold. Initially she is resentful of being bought, but once she understands how much freedom she gained through the sale.

This is a piazza,

Yes a Roman one, but still the idea is that she is cramped into a desolate shack near the edge of a grander and more open, or free, area. Jacobs uses a lot more imagery to display her meanings and purpose whereas Douglass uses direct words to the matter. The exceptions are when Jacobs steps out of the story to talk directly to the reader. This story is really similar in its manner of appeal to that of Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The question that this story answers for the modern reader is; Was slavery that bad? Of course it was and still is a great evil, but hte debate rages on.

     I was going to make a sepreate blog post for this but since I might not have time I'll list the arguement I found while researching. It is an internet forum arguement over how bad (or good) slavery was in the 1800's in Amercia. Some Claimed that by being enslaved they were given food and taken care of instead of living in Africa whose living conditions were awful. Please ignore the stupidity of the last statement for a moment, this was the best response (not linked because of pictures, read to the bottom of that person's post), 

"To the Op: I see you have a point there. Unlike the many enraged people here, who I dare to say have no basis whatsoever in mind other than their feelings to disagree, I have a question for you. No, it is more like a proposal.

I offer you a good life. I will take good care of you. Nothing is going to happen, three foods every day, and a roof over you with a bed, not the best bed, but you can sleep there I assure you. All you have to do in return is become my slave; you know work eighteen hours a day, do whatever work I say...actually do whatever I say without talking-back or even look at me with bad-eyes. What kind of slave you ask? Just slave, my property. I am offering you a good deal, in fact this will make you happy, don't deny it since you stated it.

Oh I just forgot to mention a couple of things. 
1. You will lose your freedom, not that it matters.
2. You will lose your status of 'human being,' and be just a 'thing.' You know, worst than an animal, but it doesn't matter because you don't care about that, you will have a good life.
3. You don't have pride; I forbid you to have one.
4. I will treat you well, like my property you will be, but that doesn't mean my good friends that look after my slaves, my valuable workers, my brothers, my doctor, my lawyer, and all the rest of the people I know will treat you well. Oh yes some of them like to fuck my slaves, since we are good friends, you know as long as I don't get to know it; it's cool, right?
5.You do whatever I want, and I will hurt you on a whim because I am your master.

Well, those things doesn't really matter since you will have a good life, and a good future. Because your children, and grandchildren will have a great life in my country. That is when that happens in a hundred years, maybe, well who knows? Doesn't really matter.

So, what do you say? Do you accept my offer?..." From Crunchyroll.com

All of the Slavery-era readings we have read illuminate one point: Slavery is, was, and always will be bad on every level. None of the readings have supported slavery or the conditions in which those slaves lived as 'good' the best that can be said about them is 'not bad'.

Ignorance of these writers leads to their voices being muted and thus people forget just how harmful slavery is for the slave and the slave owner. Much like how Lies warned about lessens lost from ignoring or romancing the facts. As in; making the issue of slavery be a one time deal. It is over and everything is happy since both races get along, and there was never any tension in the northern states(142, bottom paragraph Lies).