Summary Of Harriet Jacobs Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

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Another critic, Thomas Doherty, writes about Jacobs’s narrative strategies. In his literary criticism, “Harriet Jacobs’ Narrative Strategies: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” he notes the most unique thing about this slave narrative and that is the sex of the narrator and author. He references Jacobs specific gender target by stating, “I do earnestly desire to arouse the women of the North to a realizing sense of the conditions of two millions of women at the South, still in bondage…(xiv),” (Doherty). By quoting this particular line from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, he shows that the audience is mainly women involved in the abolitionist movement, but also shows how important and influential the participation of women in the …show more content…
He also explains how this time in her life plays more important roles in the narrative roles. Doherty says, “First it is a metaphor not only for the prison of slavery but for the restrictions of domestic life” (Doherty). Jacobs writes about the time in the crawl space for almost half of the novel, showing how Linda lived through an imagined world by watching and listening to her surrounding loved ones. Doherty next explains, “the episode has a second, more certain narrative purpose: it verifies and accentuates Linda’s maternal commitment” (Doherty). During the time in the crawl space, Linda’s character reassures the reader and audience that there is no reason besides her children for running away from her master. When she initially runs away, the reader might believe she is doing it for her self to escape the harsh abuses of Dr. Flint and slavery. However, with insight into what Linda is thinking while in the crawlspace all doubt is erased. Doherty then analyses the ending of the novel as two different narrative forms. He sees the sentimental novel come to a close and Jacobs cannot close one without the other, so the slave narrative closes as
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