Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Written by Harriet Jacobs, and recited to her narrator, Linda Brent, she opens up about her motivation for personal story of enslavement, degradation, and sexual exploitation public. Critics ignored the narrative as fiction and gave it little acclaim. The book is acclaimed today as the first book written exclusively by an ex-slave. It details the brutalities placed on enslaved women. Many times it is noted as a partner of the Narrative of the Life by Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, and Written by Himself. It was published in 1861, and re-discovered in the 1970s. Without question a great book and historical documentation of life on plantations from the eyes of a woman.

The story is a first hand and in-depth accounting of life as a slave girl. It reveals the damaging events that affected every slave girl in America. Although critics skipped away from the book it now shows up in many curriculums as an explosive and telling piece of work. Without question it is valuable as a accounting of the inner workings of society and its relationship to slavery. The book is well written and easy to follow and will elicit many emotions from readers. It is an important part of American history and should be examined by anyone interested in society.