As Harriet Jacobs writes in the story of her life “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for a woman” (780) because a woman who is enslaved is compelled to do as she is told, even if that requires her purity. As she tells her story she begs her readers not to judge her too harshly because she had no other choice. The person that should be judged in her situation is Dr. Flint because he took every opportunity to abuse his power as a man and as a master, which is something that seems very common among men in that situation. However, contrary to his own believe her had no claim over her whatsoever. Because of his tyranny Linda was cheated out of several incidents that would have made her free. Furthermore, his abuse forced her to abandon her role as a mother in order to not only save her children but to escape his persecution. The role of married men as the enforcer of slavery remains constant throughout her accounts, especially when her new ‘master’s’ husband comes looking for her even after she has been gone for years. To the married slave-owning white man, slave women in this story are seen as possessions to be bought and sold at their convenience.
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