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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

By Harriet Jacobs
Series: The Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a compelling slave narrative by Harriet Jacobs, one of the few written by a woman before the Civil War. It interweaves the slave narrative form with sentimental novel techniques, chronicling Jacobs' struggles against her master’s advances, her relationship with a white man fathering two of her children, and her eventual successful quest for freedom. The narrative provides a profound perspective on the challenges faced by Black women as slaves and writers, laying groundwork for future African-American women authors.
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Format: Hardback
$29800

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Recommended for readers interested in African-American history, women's studies, and classic slave narratives, as well as those seeking insight into the intersection of race, gender, and literature.

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Of many slave narratives published before the Civil War, this is one of the few to be written by a woman, thus offering a unique perspective on the plight of the black woman as slave and as writer.

One of the few slave narratives written by a woman

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Not only one of the last of over one hundred slave narratives published separately before the Civil War, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) is also one of the few existing narratives written by a woman. It offers a unique perspective on the complex plight of the black woman as slave and as writer.

In a story that merges the conventions of the slave narrative with the techniques of the sentimental novel, Harriet Jacobs describes her efforts to fight off the advances of her master, her eventual liaison with another white man (the father of two of her children), and her ultimately successful struggle for freedom. Jacobs' account of her experiences, and her search for her own voice, prefigure the literary and ideological concerns of generations of African-American women writers to come.

Series: The Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as a vital counterpoint to male slave narratives, this work clearly portrays the specific issues faced by female slaves. Scholars highlight Jacobs' engagement with the complexities of being a Black woman writer, anticipating literary and ideological themes echoed by later generations. The edition with Valerie Smith’s introduction offers valuable insight into the protagonist Linda Brent's decisions, enriching understanding of this unique slave narrative.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780195052435

Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 28 July 1988

Country: United States

Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Valeria Smith

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 147.0mm

Height: 220.0mm

Weight: 576g

Pages: 352

Collections

Education & Reference Harriet Jacobs Non-Fiction Series: The Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers

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