I appreciated Jacobs work, even though all was not true (as stated in class). Even if parts of her work was loosely based on her life, through her story, it can be assumed that somewhere in the south, another slave girl was living this actual story.
It is my personal opinion that by her speaking in "first person", the readers are better connected to Jacobs' thoughts, views, and feelings towards slavery. Whereas, in Stowe's piece, the reader just gets an "idea" of what slavery looked like. Having to watch something and having to actual feel what you are watching sparks two completely different emotions.
Stowe believed that slavery was OK, as long as you treated your slaves nicely. I believe that the mistresses' of Jacobs and her family shared these ideas and may have even been a fan of Stowe's. But through Jacobs' character, Dr. Flint, we see how misconstrued this idea is. After hitting Linda for wanting to get married to the man he loves, Dr. Flint express that "I have wanted to make you happy, and I have been repaid with the basest ingratitude; but though you have proved yourself incapable of appreciating my kindness, I will be lenient towards you, Linda". And I can truly believe that in his heart, Dr. Flint believed that he was being kind to her and trying to make her happy.
Jacob's point of view is not objective. She tells you how she feels and she is straight forward. Stowe attempts to write based on what she sees, but not knowing how these people really feel. She believed that slaves were "happy" if they were treated fair because this is what she saw. Jacobs proves that a slave can seem happy on the outside but have internal thoughts that are the exact opposite.
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do you really think that this is not the truth? thank you, I always thinking it is her true story on a basic structure. She probably create the part that she still can resis Dr. Flint. I do not think so. I think that since Dr. Flint wants her that bad, there is no way that she can escape.
ReplyDeleteI really can't say. I was just going based on what was said in class. But I do beleive that no matter what is true or what is fals, it still gets its point across on how serious slavery was.
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