Incidents ch 1-4

Incidents Ch. 1-4

The way Jacobs described it in the beginning didn’t make it seem all that bad. This was because she talked a lot about how well respected her grandmother was and how much freedom she had compared to other slaves. However, after chapter one the picture inside of my head darkened. I realized then just how little Jacobs and other slaves were able to actually live. For instance, after Jacobs father died she hoped her master, who was quite kind compared to other masters, would allow her to go visit her father’s grave. Instead she was ordered to do something “much more important.” She was to deliver some flowers. She wasn’t even able to grieve the loss of a loved one. Jacobs then goes on to explain reasons why she wasn’t allowed to go to the grave. One was because her father was just a piece of property. He didn’t own him, therefore, he did not care. The next reason was because he thought her father spoiled his children by letting them believe they were human beings. This was what made it powerful to me, as well as the way Jacobs would address the reader directly. It made you have some sort of a connection with her.

            She represents a broader view by describing things that happen to the people around her, but then focusing on the different sorts that happen to her.