Harriet Jacobs, "Incidents In The Life of a Slave Girl"

Journal #8
Posted By Melissa Veum
10-15-09
Engl 48A

"She clasped a gold chain around my baby's neck. I thanked her for this kindness; but I did not like the emblem. I wanted no chain to be fastened on my daughter, not even if it's links were of gold. How earnestly I prayed that she might never feel the weight of slavery's chain, who's iron entereth into the soul (Jacobs, 1821)."

"Cruelty is contagious in uncivilized communities (Jacobs, memorablequotations.com)."

This passage comes at the time that Linda is having her children baptized behind her master's back in a church. Her father's old mistress placed a beautiful gold chain around Ellen's neck as a gift and even though Linda appreciated the gift, she did not want something chained and fastened around her daughter's neck, ever, even something made out of gold.

I love the way Jacobs uses the analogy of a gold chain necklace to interpret the ever-binding chains of slavery. She really makes you realize the harshness and unforgotten way that she was treated by making every reference to the fact that her children shall never feel that chain of restraint. Linda states that "slavery's chain, whose iron enereth into the soul." slavery is something that when it enters your soul, you never get rid of that feeling of utter isolation and self-unworthiness. The fact that she says it weighs down on the soul like an iron is very reminiscent to the way she feels at the end of the story, even with all of her good memories about her grandmother, she still carries on the bad memories too that will never rid her body. Linda never wants her children's souls to be "tainted" like hers will be forever more into eternity.