Gender Inequalities in Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"

In Harriet Jacobs’ slave narrative “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” she recounts her life as a slave to Dr. Flint (the pseudonym for Dr. James Norcom) and her life in hiding after escaping the Flint’s home in the middle of the night. Jacobs not only reflects in her narrative that she was oppressed due to her social class and race, but she also conveys the impact of gender inequalities and their significant addition to her hardships. At this time in the United States, being an African American woman slave was the lowest rung of the social ladder and in effect, as Jacobs illustrates in her narrative, left them more vulnerable to abuse and sexual harassment by their owners. When Jacobs discovers that her second child is to be a baby girl, she expresses her heightened concern for her daughter, as “slavery is terrible for men; but…is far more terrible for women” (780). When reading Jacobs’ story, it was apparent to me that she would have been able to make different choices for her and for her children if she had not been subject to gender inequalities. Jacobs’ ultimately decides to let her first lover go due to the concern that their children would be slaves under law, as children “follow the condition of the mother” (775), and that, as a free African American man, her husband would not be able to protect her from her master. Perhaps Jacobs’ would have chosen differently if these inequalities were not law. Her gender also restricted her choices because her opportunities to improve her standard of livelihood as a single woman after escape were next to none compared to that of a man. Perhaps she wouldn’t have hidden for as long, or would have attempted to find employment had she been a man. The power struggles between the sexes are most apparent between her and her master, Dr. Flint. Gender inequalities heighten the animosity behind the power struggles between the two and are most apparent when they argue over her want to be married to a free African American man. When she talks back to Dr. Flint, he exclaims “By heavens, girl, you forget yourself too far!” (774). This affirms his status not only as her owner, but also as a superior man. Unfortunately, the balance of power never changes throughout the story because even though she runs away, his power over her remains as she must continue to hide from him. Jacobs’ resists her roles in society in terms of race and social class, but adheres to her gender role as a woman.