Experiences Of Black Women In Harriet Jacob’s Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl And Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies
Women's emancipation in the United States has undergone tremendous reformation since the days of Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Antony. From women's suffrage to political engagement, African American women have made remarkable strides in society. Harriet Jacobs offers an account of her journey through slavery to eventual freedom in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl to inform a reader about the struggles that she and other slaves went through at the hands of white slave owners. In sharp contrast to this story, Deesha Philyaw documents the comfort that freedom, education, and employment bring for Black women in contemporary America through The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. The reader can appreciate the notable differences between the lives of both classes of women as they lead their daily lives. The experiences of black women from two historical eras differ significantly in areas of childhood, relationships, and spirituality.
In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs recounts her life as a slave since childhood. She was born into a slave family, although it only dawned on her after her sixth birthday. Her mother passed on when Harriet was six years old, and her parent’s owners took her up as a slave. However, as Harriet notes, her mistress treated her as part of the family until she died six years later. At twelve years old, Harriet realized that she was born a slave, and her sale to another White mistress kicked off her life in slavery. Throughout her childhood and early adulthood, Harriet only knew the life of slavery. She recounted how she moved from one house to another working for different masters and mistresses. She narrates the harsh and inhuman treatment that African American slaves faced in America. In one of her stories, she describes how a Black female cook was forced to eat the food that had caused the death of a dog. Harriet explains the sale of slaves in the market, public lynching, hunting for escaped slaves, and the whipping that people of color received from their slave masters.
Philyaw Deesha creates a contrasting image of Black women in contemporary America. For instance, she talks of Eula and Caroletta who lead a high-end life in America. In the opening remarks, she describes Eula and Caroletta in a club taking wine as they enjoyed a romantic evening together. Through this story, the reader learns that the two women were teachers who had risen to this position through remarkable performance in school. The two topped a class where they were the only Black girls to get honors. The two women share their stories about love, romance, and church. The reader learns of the dreams that both Eula and Caroletta have for the future. They desire to get married in their forties, although none of them has had a stable relationship with a man. They explain how they have met married men in the church and had clandestine affairs with them. The two women are in a homosexual relationship although they purport to be staunch Christians. In the chapters that follow, the author describes the life of Caroletta, his illegitimate affairs with different men, her siblings, and other aspects of her life.
The childhood experiences of Black women in the two books are utterly different. First, Harriet is a slave, while Caroletta, her sisters, and her friends are free women. The female characters from these texts live in different historical periods. In the historical setting of Harriet Jacobs’ book, all children born to slave households automatically became slaves. In other words, Harriet did not have a choice but to become a slave. She describes her father as one who “had more of the feelings of a freeman than is common among slaves” (Jacobs 11). Indeed, her father’s greatest wish was to “purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded” (Jacobs 7). On the other hand, Eula and Caroletta’s fathers worked in the railroad and the only hardship alluded to was to see their children through school.
Harriet goes ahead to explain how inhumanly slaves were traded in the market in what she calls the “Slave’s New Year Day” (Jacobs 17). In her childhood, Harriet was bequeathed to her former mistress’s niece, a gesture that revealed the true nature of her existence as a slave (Harriet 10). The encounters of Harriet in her childhood truly differ from those of Caroletta, her sisters, and her girlfriend Eula. In their childhood, these girls went to school, spent their lives with their fathers, and enjoyed lives as free people. Eula’s parents move freely from one state to another. Eula and Caroletta became friends. Eula’s family has “moved down from North Carolina. She needed a friend, and I did too” (Deesha 2). Unlike Harriet who did not have much choice in friends, Eula and Caroletta grew their friendship in school most probably due to shared interests in education.
Love and relationships are remarkably different for women from both accounts. In Deesha’s work, the reader can appreciate that the women had different affairs that ended as fast as they started. In most cases, the love escapades involved men who were committed to other spouses. Caroletta speaks of entertaining a married man as her friend was truly searching for a spouse to marry (Deesha 5). Eula’s statement about willing to get married is hypocritical, especially because she has a homosexual relationship with her. Like Caroletta, she dates a married man whose wife bumps into them as they share a meal on a rooftop restaurant (Deesha 6). The relationships in Deesha’s work are marred with unfaithfulness, promiscuity, and utter lack of commitment. For instance, Caroletta meets a stranger in a hospice and the two later engage in sexual activity on a bus home (Deesha 11).
Harriet Jacobs paints a picture of authentic relationships in her work. As a young woman, Harriet met a man and fell in love with him. Her lover was a carpenter in the neighborhood. He was born a free man, and his marriage to Harriet could not have materialized since the latter was a slave. The author describes the commitment that existed between the two lovers to the point that the man wanted to buy her from her master. The master “was too willful and arbitrary a man to consent to that arrangement,” but his wife could not accept selling her in the neighborhood (Deesha 41-42). This narration reveals the numerous hurdles that prevented a slave woman from pursuing her romantic interests. In Deesha’s work, however, there is no notable challenge that could have prevented a man and woman from establishing a relationship that would easily lead to marriage.
Both books make notable references to spirituality, church, and Christianity. The authors of both works posit women as spiritual people who depend on the teachings of the Bible for their daily lives. However, the position of these women on Christianity differs in both texts. Eula and Caroletta in Deesha’s book are Christians by confession, although their actions do not align with their spiritual beliefs. They mention the Bible study sessions as avenues for acquiring lovers rather than for spiritual nourishment (Deesha 4). On the contrary, the church for Harriet meant a place to seek spiritual fulfillment and refuge from the troubles she was going through. Harriet mentions going to a Methodist church with a “burdened spirit and happened to sit next to poor, bereaved mother, whose heart was still heavier than mine” (Jacobs 78). Unlike the women in Deesha’s work, Harriet is a pious and prayerful woman who lives by the teachings of the Bible.
In conclusion, a reader cannot miss appreciating the differences in spirituality, childhood experiences, and relationships for women in the two works described above. Truly, women from slavery and post-slavery eras led lives that varied on many fronts. The freedom offered women a chance to attend school, make friends, establish relationships, and enter into lucrative careers. It is arguable from the two works that the life of a woman is dependent on many social factors. Education is a critical factor, although family background, peer pressure, and childhood experiences define a woman’s personality and approach toward life. Harriet Jacobs and Philyaw Deesha skillfully bring these aspects into perspective and allow the readers to see the interplay between them.
Parting shot
Thanks for keeping it theprofessorshelp. Need a professional book review writer for Women's emancipation in the United States has undergone tremendous reformation since the days of Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Antony. From women's suffrage to political engagement, African American women have made remarkable strides in society. Harriet Jacobs offers an account of her journey through slavery to eventual freedom in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl to inform a reader about the struggles that she and other slaves went through in the hands of white slave owners. In sharp contrast to this story, Deesha Philyaw documents the comfort that freedom, education, and employment bring for Black women in contemporary America through The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. The reader can appreciate the notable differences between the lives of both classes of women as they lead their daily lives. The experiences of black women from two historical eras differ significantly in areas of childhood, relationships, and spirituality.
In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs recounts her life as a slave since childhood. She was born into a slave family, although it only dawned on her after her sixth birthday. Her mother passed on when Harriet was six years old, and her parent’s owners took her up as a slave. However, as Harriet notes, her mistress treated her as part of the family until she died six years later. At twelve years old, Harriet realized that she was born a slave, and her sale to another White mistress kicked off her life in slavery. Throughout her childhood and early adulthood, Harriet only knew the life of slavery. She recounted how she moved from one house to another working for different masters and mistresses. She narrates the harsh and inhuman treatment that African American slaves faced in America. In one of her stories, she describes how a Black female cook was forced to eat the food that had caused the death of a dog. Harriet explains the sale of slaves in the market, public lynching, hunting for escaped slaves, and the whipping that people of color received from their slave masters.
Philyaw Deesha creates a contrasting image of Black women in contemporary America. For instance, she talks of Eula and Caroletta who lead a high-end life in America. In the opening remarks, she describes Eula and Caroletta in a club taking wine as they enjoyed a romantic evening together. Through this story, the reader learns that the two women were teachers who had risen to this position through remarkable performance in school. The two topped a class where they were the only Black girls to get honors. The two women share their stories about love, romance, and church. The reader learns of the dreams that both Eula and Caroletta have for the future. They desire to get married in their forties, although none of them has had a stable relationship with a man. They explain how they have met married men in the church and had clandestine affairs with them. The two women are in a homosexual relationship although they purport to be staunch Christians. In the chapters that follow, the author describes the life of Caroletta, his illegitimate affairs with different men, her siblings, and other aspects of her life.
The childhood experiences of Black women in the two books are utterly different. First, Harriet is a slave, while Caroletta, her sisters, and her friends are free women. The female characters from these texts live in different historical periods. In the historical setting of Harriet Jacobs’ book, all children born to slave households automatically became slaves. In other words, Harriet did not have a choice but to become a slave. She describes her father as one who “had more of the feelings of a freeman than is common among slaves” (Jacobs 11). Indeed, her father’s greatest wish was to “purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded” (Jacobs 7). On the other hand, Eula and Caroletta’s fathers worked in the railroad and the only hardship alluded to was to see their children through school.
Harriet goes ahead to explain how inhumanly slaves were traded in the market in what she calls the “Slave’s New Year Day” (Jacobs 17). In her childhood, Harriet was bequeathed to her former mistress’s niece, a gesture that revealed the true nature of her existence as a slave (Harriet 10). The encounters of Harriet in her childhood truly differ from those of Caroletta, her sisters, and her girlfriend Eula. In their childhood, these girls went to school, spent their lives with their fathers, and enjoyed lives as free people. Eula’s parents move freely from one state to another. Eula and Caroletta became friends. Eula’s family has “moved down from North Carolina. She needed a friend, and I did too” (Deesha 2). Unlike Harriet who did not have much choice in friends, Eula and Caroletta grew their friendship in school most probably due to shared interests in education.
Love and relationships are remarkably different for women from both accounts. In Deesha’s work, the reader can appreciate that the women had different affairs that ended as fast as they started. In most cases, the love escapades involved men who were committed to other spouses. Caroletta speaks of entertaining a married man as her friend was truly searching for a spouse to marry (Deesha 5). Eula’s statement about being willing to get married is hypocritical, especially because she has a homosexual relationship with her. Like Caroletta, she dates a married man whose wife bumps into them as they share a meal at a rooftop restaurant (Deesha 6). The relationships in Deesha’s work are marred with unfaithfulness, promiscuity, and utter lack of commitment. For instance, Caroletta meets a stranger in a hospice and the two later engage in sexual activity on a bus home (Deesha 11).
Harriet Jacobs paints a picture of authentic relationships in her work. As a young woman, Harriet met a man and fell in love with him. Her lover was a carpenter in the neighborhood. He was born a free man, and his marriage to Harriet could not have materialized since the latter was a slave. The author describes the commitment that existed between the two lovers to the point that the man wanted to buy her from her master. The master “was too willful and arbitrary a man to consent to that arrangement,” but his wife could not accept selling her in the neighborhood (Deesha 41-42). This narration reveals the numerous hurdles that prevented a slave woman from pursuing her romantic interests. In Deesha’s work, however, there is no notable challenge that could have prevented a man and woman from establishing a relationship that would easily lead to marriage.
Both books make notable references to spirituality, church, and Christianity. The authors of both works posit women as spiritual people who depend on the teachings of the Bible for their daily lives. However, the position of these women on Christianity differs in both texts. Eula and Caroletta in Deesha’s book are Christians by confession, although their actions do not align with their spiritual beliefs. They mention the Bible study sessions as avenues for acquiring lovers rather than for spiritual nourishment (Deesha 4). On the contrary, the church for Harriet meant a place to seek spiritual fulfillment and refuge from troubles she was going through. Harriet mentions going to a Methodist church with a “burdened spirit and happened to sit next to poor, bereaved mother, whose heart was still heavier than mine” (Jacobs 78). Unlike the women in Deesha’s work, Harriet is a pious and prayerful woman who lives by the teachings of the Bible.
In conclusion, a reader cannot miss appreciating the differences in spirituality, childhood experiences, and relationships for women in the two works described above. Truly, women from slavery and post-slavery eras led lives that varied on many fronts. The freedom offered women a chance to attend school, make friends, establish relationships, and enter into lucrative careers. It is arguable from the two works that the life of a woman is dependent on many social factors. Education is a critical factor, although family background, peer pressure, and childhood experiences define a woman’s personality and approach toward life. Harriet Jacobs and Philyaw Deesha skillfully bring these aspects into perspective and allow the readers to see the interplay between them.
Parting shot
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