Essay Comparing Frederick Douglass And Harriet Jacobs
Both authors Fredrick Douglas and Harriet Jacobs demonstrate the horror of slavery and how it dehumanizes slaves. They show this through their narratives Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and the narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass. Jacobs on her personal experience as a slave says "Slavery is bad for men, but far more terrible for women". This statement is definitely true considering the experiences she discusses throughout her narrative. Even though men suffered tremendously emotionally women suffered a greater deal. Jacobs illustrates this in her narrative by showing the emotional toll women went through by losing their children. She states how women suffered by the taking of her children and the "agonies" they would
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They were referred to as "breeders" and were threaded by their "owners" if they were to say anything. Jacobs writes about her owner in her narrative and the sexual abuse he bestowed upon her. She says how her masters met her "at every turn" to remind her "she belonged to him". She describes how she "trembled" when she heard her "master's footfall". Douglass describes how his aunt was beaten without any mercy. He says the "louder she screamed the harder he'd whip". The abuse the owners would cause the women was traumatizing besides the fact they worked long days and had poor living conditions. Douglass shows in his narrative how his aunt was beaten repeatedly "until her back was literally covered in blood " this dehumanized her. She was treated like property and that's what she was to her owners. Nevertheless men were also dehumanized by the emotional and physical abuse but women still had it worse. Douglass describes the beating his owner gave him for failing to control the oxen. He says his owner, Mr.Covey, rose ridges on his flesh from the beating and worked him for long days with little to no food. All the abuse Douglass describes in his narrative shows how Mr.covey "consisted his power to deceive". The two narratives Jacobs and Douglass clearly illustrate the depth of abuse they both experienced throughout their slavery experience. Given these facts it's clear that men and women were dehumanized during slavery, women were
They were referred to as "breeders" and were threaded by their "owners" if they were to say anything. Jacobs writes about her owner in her narrative and the sexual abuse he bestowed upon her. She says how her masters met her "at every turn" to remind her "she belonged to him". She describes how she "trembled" when she heard her "master's footfall". Douglass describes how his aunt was beaten without any mercy. He says the "louder she screamed the harder he'd whip". The abuse the owners would cause the women was traumatizing besides the fact they worked long days and had poor living conditions. Douglass shows in his narrative how his aunt was beaten repeatedly "until her back was literally covered in blood " this dehumanized her. She was treated like property and that's what she was to her owners. Nevertheless men were also dehumanized by the emotional and physical abuse but women still had it worse. Douglass describes the beating his owner gave him for failing to control the oxen. He says his owner, Mr.Covey, rose ridges on his flesh from the beating and worked him for long days with little to no food. All the abuse Douglass describes in his narrative shows how Mr.covey "consisted his power to deceive". The two narratives Jacobs and Douglass clearly illustrate the depth of abuse they both experienced throughout their slavery experience. Given these facts it's clear that men and women were dehumanized during slavery, women were