Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

An autobiography is a rendition of a person’s life, written by the actual person. Every author has a certain goal to achieve through their autobiography. They feel that something about their life must be told and must be let out into the world. There was something very important and unique about their life. Douglass and Jacobs ultimately had the same goal, to bring the life of slavery to the eyes of the innocent and ignorant. The difference between Jacobs and Douglass was to what extent they took the importance of a woman.
Jacobs establishes ethos by not only being the person who experienced the turmoil described in the text but she has the power to closely relate to other woman who may also have been through things described in the text. Jacobs expresses how an “educated slave women” could still be belittled in slavery. “I suppose you thought more of yourself; that you felt above the insults of such puppies” (Jacobs, 3). These are the words of Linda’s master as she asked him to let her marry a freed slave and that she loved him. Her master compared her to his puppies. She is not even considered or compared to a human, but to puppies. He then slapped her. This was later followed by “you have tried to kill me, and I wish you had; but you have no right to do as you like with me” (Jacobs, 3). This for audience of women would be very emotional. Another emotional part is directed to the audience. “Reader, did you ever hate? I hope not. I never did but once; and I trust I never shall again. Somebody has called it “the atmosphere of hell;” and I believe it so” (Jacobs, 3).
Jacobs’ point was to get across that it didn’t matter if you cared about someone or was an educated slave because there was always something holding you back. Either nature or a person. She stressed the pain of the women slaves.