Life of a Slave Girl Essay -- Papers

Life of a Slave Girl Harriet Jacobs constantly refers to friends that help her through her plight for freedom. Relying on the kindness of others seems to be a trend through out her life. Harriet was always helped out when she was a slave and when she escaped from slavery. When ever she got into trouble someone always came to her rescue. Everyone that came to her rescue was risking themselves when they would aid her. Be it a good old friend from the past, someone who knew her mother or a random stranger in the last expected place, there was always someone to save her. She thankfully accepted every bit of aid that came her way. Countless times Harriet speaks of getting help from someone whom she knew when she was little, be it an old friend or someone who is helping her because they knew her mother. People always wanted to help her, and this makes me wonder what she was like. Not once in her story does Harriet describe herself or do we get to know much about her other then how troubled she always is. Harriet was someone of a very strong moral character. Her second master Dr. Flint was relentless in his desires to have her as his lover yet she never gave in. In the situation of a slave this was very unusual. There was nothing to stop Dr. Flint from sticking Harriet in jail or whipping her until she couldn't stand anymore for no other reason then he felt like it. Yet she would not do anything she chose not to. She eventually ran away from him after spending years in his service and spent seven years hiding in an atic that summed up to be a large coffin then serve him and his family any more. She would rather torchure herself then submit to the Flints and do something she felt was wrong. At the age of six Harri... ... to smuggle Harriet north. After much time, he found way by a sympathetic caption of a ship to bring her north. He gave seven years trying to help her with information and a way to get north instead of helping himself. To simply save a friend. After Harriet arived in New York she met Mr. Bruce. His second wife was the greatest help to Harriet through out all of her years. Though she was white, she treated Harriet as an equal and always tryed to do the best for her. At one point Harriet had to flee from New York for fear of being cought and Mrs. Bruce tells her to bring her baby with her so that if she happened to be cought they would have to bring Harriet back to her and that there might be some way to help her then. Eventually Mrs. Bruce enables someone to purchase Harriet for three hundred dollars from Mr. Flint's daughter so that Harriet could be free.