If a slave is unwilling to go with his new master, he is whipped, or locked up in jail, until he consents to go, and promises not to run away during the year.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
But I now entered on my fifteenth year - a sad epoch in the life of a slave girl. My master began to whisper foul words in my ear. Young as I was, I could not remain ignorant of their import
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the harsh realities faced by a young enslaved girl, as she becomes aware of the darker aspects of her existence.
In this quote, Harriet Ann Jacobs poignantly describes a turning point in her life as she enters her fifteenth year, marking a time of innocence lost. The mention of her master whispering foul words suggests a manipulation of power and the early onset of the exploitation she would face, emphasizing the cruel awakening to the realities of slavery and the loss of childhood innocence that follows.
Themes
SlaveryInnocenceExploitationPowerAwakening
In practice
Example use cases
During speeches on social justice, this quote can highlight the importance of recognizing the historical struggles of enslaved individuals.
More from Harriet Ann Jacobs
All quotes →The war of my life had begun; and though one of God's most powerless creatures, I resolved never to be conquered.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
I would rather drudge out my life on a cotton plantation, till the grave opened to give me rest, than to live with an unprincipled master and a jealous mistress.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
Southern women often marry a man knowing that he is the father of many little slaves. They do not trouble themselves about it.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
If you want to be fully convinced of the abominations of slavery, go on a southern plantation, and call yourself a negro trader. Then there will be no concealment; and you will see and hear things that will seem to you impossible among human beings with immortal souls.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
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