Differences And Similarities Between Jacobs And Douglass

Jacobs’ language is personal and uses personal examples to make the reader feel like they are violating someone’s privacy or eavesdropping. Conversely, Douglass’ language is factual and less emotional, while still using personal examples and educating the reader on what is really going on. Both Jacobs’ and Douglass’ language and writing styles are useful and give us a lot of insight into the era and impact of slavery.
Douglass talks in a way that feels much likes lecturer on hour one of a four-hour lecture. It is easy to loose interest. Highly informative, he writes in a way that feels impersonal as though if it were textbook. Though, we learn from textbooks. He is trying to educate the reader about the truth behind slavery. Telling the reader
everything he felt to be important. Informing us of his experiences while also teaching us the rules of his time. “I speak advisedly when I say this, -that killing a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community,” (Douglass 347). Though with the amount given to reader it is fairly hard to get through and feel the impact he is trying to make. Throughout you feels as though parts felt like things were missing. There were parts of the narrative where you felt like you just had to trudge through. However, with his words we as readers do feel sorrow for the slaves not just for him. Feeling as though this work is more impactful in that sense.
Though we do get personal aspects of Douglass’ life.
He doesn’t bring the reader in as much as Jacobs who directly calls out to her audience multiple times to give a warning or break. Jacobs pulls you in by your ears constantly shouting at the reader. Giving the reader a snap back into reality by contacting us directly. Hence her giving the reader a break to breathe with the new information given. “And now, reader, I come to a period in my unhappy life, which I would gladly forget if I could. The remembrance fills me with sorrow and shame” (Jacobs 233). She prepares you for bad times to come each time. Like she is giving a trigger warning in a way in her own novel. With Jacobs personal tone and writing this style truly gives the personal feeling. As though you are in the room with her as she writes this at a desk under a lamp. Tears dripping down her face onto the pages. Just watching her write this in front of your
eyes.
Furthermore, Jacobs isn’t afraid to harshly push the boundaries with what she tells us.
Now a day’s people are timid about writing the truth because it could hurt or offend people. People hide behind their writing while Jacobs pushes the audience to read through and endure it. She’s is so brave really open. “She took really big risk talking about this. No matter whether the slave girl be as black as ebony or as fair as her mistress. In either case, there is no shadow of law to protect her from insult, from violence, or even from death; all these are inflicted by fiends who bear the shape of men,” (Jacobs 231). To understand the many troubles she went through as a slave and a woman. She talks about physical abuse sexual abuse women usually are shunned for this. Women who suffered this kind of abuse usually don’t want to talk about it because it can trigger the writer or people attack the woman. Saying it was her fault for looking a certain way or acting a certain way. Women like this help others feel stronger and empowered to share their
stories.
Douglass’ lecturer tone in his text has people see how bad slavery was making an entire class go wow can’t believe this happened. Since he is male he writes in a masculine text with a masculine point of view of the world. Douglass’ would appeal to a more male audience with some females here and there respectably. He is very factually and highly intelligent. He participated in abolitionist movement. Went on to write for a newspaper which Father figures are usually known for reading during breakfast. Really fitting the movie dad stereotype. With Jacobs’ tone you read it in a way where you take the time to picture it in your head like it was a movie. When you write in this way it makes the audience feel as though they need to feel apologetic. Which Douglass’ doesn’t really offer. He doesn’t he doesn’t really pull you into the book. Which may have been what he needed to gain even more attention to his narrative to his claims. He needed to add a sense of personality. Intelligence is important to have but writing as a highly intelligent person can make the text feel robotic as though there was no emotion.
Lastly, I would like to touch upon the way their narratives were written and how they would appeal to the audience. Jacobs writes in a way that heavily appeals to women in the north. The mentioning of her struggles as a mother under heavy authority of a man. Would really give woman the appeal to read the novel because at the time the feminist movement was really starting to pick up. “Countless were the nights that I sat late at the little loophole scarcely large enough to give me glimpse of one twinkling star,” (Jacobs 246.) These experiences would women in the north white or black. Most women can understand motherhood and heavily feel sympathy for that reason. She sacrificed years of her life for her daughter to have a better one. Something all mothers would do for their children. When the motherly instincts kick in there is nothing that a mother wont do to help their child.
Jacobs’ also categorically shows us how slave owners pretend to care for their slaves when it’s convenient for them. Dr. Flint who would “whisper foul words in my ear,” (Jacobs 231) but when finds out she’s pregnant “build a small house for me, in a secluded place, four miles away from the town,” (Jacobs 233). Since Jacobs was in an abusive relationship with Dr. Flint. Which other past women slaves can relate to. However, in this some cases women of other races can relate to being used and abused by a man. With Jacobs you not only gain a feeling of remorse for her you also gain a high respect for her as well.
No matter how a story is written, no matter the tone, or style intended audience. Getting your main message across. Making the impact in your words hitting the reader with every page they turn. While also educating the reader on what’s happened to you, your family and many other slaves. Which both Douglass’ and Jacobs do in their narratives. Slavery ruins everyone involved. With Jacobs you say we slavery should be abolished because you feel the sympathy and remorse for Jacobs. Though with Douglass you say we should abolish slavery because humans should be treated like humans. Though they have the same goal in mind we understand the message they wanted to send. The end of slavery. That we are all humans and deserve to be treated with respect. Jacobs writes in a way which does not look to denounce slave-owners for who they are. She focuses more on the institution of slavery itself, while Frederick focuses on the abolishment of slavery as a whole. While also including his life experiences. In the end, as readers, we respect Douglass but we love Jacobs. We recall Jacobs but we learned from Douglass. Who would you prefer?