she even hides from her master for 7 years in a cramped space in the top of a shed without any room to
walk. The theme of the story is a statement on how slavery was much more harder on life than many
people may have thought so during the time of slavery. Many people during these times thought that
slaves were happy where they were and that their lives were much easier in the southern states than in
their home country. Even though Jacobs is not born in her home country and we do not hear about her
being in her home country, we can collect that her life is obviously harder than it would be in her home
country given how she is so miserable and we do not hear any of the slaves state that their lives are
harder in the southern states rather than his/her home country.
Jacobs is born to her mother in the southern states of America. She is born without freedom and
rights as she is black, property to her master as a slave. Her mother is a slave to a man name Dr. Flint
and so therefor she too is a slave of his property. On page 26, the first sentance of chapter 5, Jacobs
states "During the first years of my service in Dr. Flint's family I was accustomed to share some
indulgences with the children of my mistress. Thought this seemed to me no more than right, I was
grateful for it, and tried to merit the kindness by the faithful discharge of my duties." Harriet shows
gratefulness for a period of time that she is a slave. The next line says "But I now entered on my
fifteenth year -- a sad epoch in the life of a slave." Harriet starts to show hatrid for her slavery and
sadness. As a fifteenth year slave she is getting tired of how she is being treated, many girls that are
her age at this time would be very frustrated with this too.
Harriet Jacobs is a very tought girl that has put up with a lot of slavery and bad treatments in
her life such as being draconianly punished for her actions. I have learned from this composition that the
slaves of the southern states were not happy at all with their life. The part where Harriet runs away for
7 years really got to me to think about how that would make any man go crazy. I could not see sitting in
a cramped area for 7 years. This composition is very educational.
