Short Story Of Freedom By Harriet Jacobs

1278 Words6 Pages
Abigail Kaufmann Dr. Wachter English 209-320 11 November 2014 Freedom “Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves” (Abraham Lincoln, Complete Works - Volume XII). Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography tells her painful story growing up as a black female in the south and shows one woman’s personal account of racial discrimination, sexual harassment, and enslavement. Not only does this story illustrate an African American’s struggle to gain personal freedom, but it also demonstrates the lack of freedom present between the white communities as well. After six years of being happy and naïve, Harriet Jacobs, known in her book as Linda Brent, is thrown into the harsh game of slavery accompanied by years of abuse. In her book,…show more content…
Slaveholders would hire African American preachers to deliver scripture and messages about being obedient. Jacobs wrote specifically to the Christian women of the north to explain why slavery brought out the worst in African Americans. Throughout her story, Jacobs struggles with her own personal religious freedom. Christianity was important Jacobs but slaves were not allowed to go to church. Jacobs suggested that slave masters manipulated religion to fit their own needs and wants. Preacher’s sermons portrayed the fears that white slave holders had about their slaves. One sermon reads, “Although your masters may not find you out, God sees you; and he will punish you. You must forsake your sinful ways, and be faithful servants. Obey your old master and your young master--your old mistress and your young mistress. If you disobey your earthly master, you offend your heavenly Master. You must obey God's commandments. When you go from here, don't stop at the corners of the streets to talk, but go directly home, and let your master and mistress see that you have come” (Jacobs 69). Slaveholders did not want talk amongst slaves to prevent any plans of…show more content…
Whites were typically Christian, polished, and educated. Blacks were assumed to be primitive, uneducated, and unprincipled. However, Harriet Jacobs undermines this way of thinking in her story. She expresses that in reality, it was actually the other way around. Whites were corrupt and inhospitable while blacks were cultivated and good-natured. Harriet Jacobs also made the point that many black slaves had white relations within their family, disputing the idea of racial clarity. She writes, “They seem to satisfy their consciences with the doctrine that God created the Africans to be slaves. What a libel upon the heavenly Father, who "made of one blood all nations of men!" And then who are Africans? Who can measure the amount of Anglo-Saxon blood coursing in the veins of American slaves” (Jacobs 47)? It was often hard to distinguish between the two races because of the amount of interracial interactions between slaves and their masters. Linda struggles with encompassing an emotional freedom from racial inequality and injustice. Her determination and willingness to abolish slavery essentially drove her to publicize her private story in hopes of creating awareness regarding the issue of
Open Document