Enslavement in the personal narrative of Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the life of a slave girl

Autobiography has been a remarkable literary term in world and American literature especially starting in the twentieth century. Hence, slave narratives written by ex-slaves who gave service during the slavery times in America carried a special importance. Especially differences between the male and female slave narratives as much as the differences between male and female autobiographies became a unique study field.The aim of this study is to consider Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl in terms of slave narratives which are autobiographical writings in the eighteenth and nineteenth American literature. While doing this, characteristics and historical developments of autobiography and slave narratives are going to be observed and the cultural and literary results of personal narrative of Jacobs enriched with historical truths are going to be evaluated.In a male dominant system, Jacobs tried to find ways to escape from her destiny and she did. Additionally, she left a historically valuable piece of writing. The aim of this study is to show autobiography and slave narratives can be tools enlightening the history and the meaning of slavery in the eyes of a woman. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl we can get first hand information told accordingly to historical truths of a certain period.The narration of Jacobs is a sample for events that carries vital importance in American history experienced by the slaves. So through this writing we can witness a history and observe a life. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl represents the harsh realities of life by a sensitivity of a woman.