Class in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"

             Harriet Jacobs’ “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” closely explains the class struggle between slaves and their masters. While reading her story, I found it easy to forget that it really happened to her because of the manner in which she wrote it. Also, it was somewhat hard to believe that a person actually experienced all of those struggles, even though w have discussed and read so many accounts of slavery. I found it interesting that Jacobs said at the beginning that she really didn’t know she was a slave at the beginning of her life until someone actually told her. “Such were the unusually fortunate circumstances of my early childhood. When I was six years old, my mother died; and then, for the first time, I learned, by the talk around me, that I was a slave.” (Jacobs, 771) That realization somewhat goes against what we think of as the relationship between a slave and their owner because many slave owners were not kind to their slaves and they certainly did not educate them like her mistress did. Jacobs goes on to say to that she actually enjoyed caring for her mistress so I guess she really wasn’t aware of any class distinction. Yes, she realized that she was working for the mistress, but she viewed her as a friend and did not think of herself as property or any less of a person. Eventually, she starts to think about the fact that she really is a slave though. “But I was her slave, and I suppose she did not recognize me as her neighbor.” (Jacobs, 772)

 The real issue of class does not come up until Dr. Flint comes into the picture. That is when Jacobs’ begins to think of herself as less because of the way Dr. Flint talks to her and treats her. He doesn’t view her as intelligent and he definitely just sees her as his property. He controls every aspect of her life, including who she chose to marry. “If you must have a husband, you may take up with one of my slaves.” (773) Jacobs’ hated the idea of marrying one of his slaves because it was just one more way he had control over her and set the difference between classes. Also, when she began having children, he started using them against her also. He would threaten to take them away whenever she disobeyed or spoke back to him.  In my opinion there is no lower way to tell someone you are above them, than taking control of their children; the only thing they truly have to themselves.

            The sad reality is that Jacobs’ had no control over her life until she had money, and even then she couldn’t buy her freedom. Slaves were given the opportunity to buy their freedom, but often no option to make any money on their own. The class distinctions in Jacobs’ personal accounts as well as many other instances, were primarily to dehumanize the slaves and gain as much power over them as possible.