Comparing Purpose and Approach in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" and "Up from Slavery"

Both Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Up From Slavery serve to relate the experience of life in slavery and post-slavery to an audience that included white people without a deep understanding of the black experience. During this period, many white people assumed that enslaved people wanted to be slaves, or openly believed that enslaved people “deserved” to be slaves because they were inherently “inferior” to their white counterparts. As such, in order to appeal to their white audience, Jacobs and Washington were unfortunately forced to prove that they were deserving of freedom and opportunity by presenting humanity in their works. Both texts humanize themselves to the reader in the hopes to gain empathy and allow themselves to be heard. However, the texts differ in their respective purposes, and through the subsequent difference in their approach to how they present themselves and their ideas. 

In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs' narrative lays bare an incredibly heartfelt representation of her humanity; her wants, needs, and innermost emotions are all expressed deeply. There are countless instances where Jacobs’ narrative humanizes herself, but one particularly poignant example is her story of confinement away from her children; to her intended female audience, her struggles with motherhood and the sacrifices she makes for her children would likely strike an especially deep chord. Recounting her incredibly difficult years cramped in her hiding place, Jacobs writes: “I heard the voices of my children. There was joy and there was sadness in the sound. It made my tears flow. How I longed to speak to them!” By recounting this emotional sacrifice and her longing stemming from her motherly love, Jacobs’ story is especially affecting to her audience. 

Paired with her stark portrayal of the true horrors of slavery, the humanization of Jacobs’ story serves her intended purpose. Her goal with publishing this book was to gain the empathy of white women of the north so they would take a stance against slavery; through this deeply human narrative, Jacobs turns the system of slavery from what was a relatively abstract concept to Northerners into a viscerally brutal story hurting real humans equally deserving of freedom and happiness. She openly challenges white readers to confront the harsh realities of her life experiences. While it is incredibly unfair that Jacobs had to “prove” her humanity–she deserved empathy no matter her portrayal of herself–her deeply emotional narrative fought back against pre-constructed notions about black people so her story could be heard.

In Up from Slavery, Washington connects with the reader particularly well through his narration of his passion for reading and learning; one can resonate with his feelings of wonder and longing. “The opening of the school in the Kanawha Valley, however, brought to me one of the keenest disappointments that I ever experienced [...] The disappointment was made all the more severe by reason of the fact that my place of work was where I could see the happy children passing to and from school mornings and afternoons,” Washington writes; his longing is deeply humanizing, and destroys preconceived notions potentially held by a white audience that black people were inherently “lesser” or did not have the desire to learn and improve themselves. 

However, while Up from Slavery does serve to humanize Washington to some extent, it feels like a more distant and less emphatic humanization. Washington’s narrative seems geared towards demonstrating the virtues of hard work and perseverance rather than eliciting empathy for his personal struggles. Thoughts about his innermost emotions aren’t given much space; rather, he focuses on presenting and pushing his ideology. Washington’s narrative basically serves as his “example;” he presents himself as a model of success, advocating for Black uplift through self-reliance and industriousness, and emphasizes qualities of humility and diligence. When Washington is unable to continue going to day school, he doesn’t focus on the emotions of disappointment; rather, he immediately goes into how he worked hard to overcome this challenge. 

In contrast to Jacobs’ vivid description of cruelty and suffering under slavery, Washington’s narrative downplays the effect to better serve his goal of being conciliatory to white readers. The experiences with slavery he writes about are more “examples” of accommodation and cooperation with white slaveowners. When describing the reaction of enslaved people to the news of emancipation, he writes that “there was no feeling of bitterness [for the former slaveowners] [...] deep down in their hearts there was a strange and peculiar attachment to "old Master" and old Missus… it was no light thing to think of parting.” While Washington does denounce the institution of slavery, he holds sympathy and compassion for slaveowners, and repeatedly expresses his gratitude that, in his belief, Black people were able to “benefit” from slavery. Washington’s portrayal of slavery as a mere obstacle to be overcome aligns with his message of hard work and labor.

While both texts deal with similar themes, the differing purposes and approaches of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and draws one of many clear distinctions between the two texts. Jacobs' narrative uses her humanity to advocate for defiance and emotional intensity, challenging readers to confront the inhumanity of slavery. In contrast, Washington's human experience serves simply to illustrate his philosophy of accommodation and self-help as he breaks down his ideology for Black Americans post-slavery. Yet, both use the inherently humanizing nature of autobiography to further the message that they were trying to send to their white audience. These two contrasting perspectives offer a deeper look into how the African-American diaspora during this era was not one monolith, but rather full of unique ideas and values. Both texts offer valuable insights into the complexities of the Black experience in their struggles for freedom and equality. 

This turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be... thanks for reading through it all!