In Harriet Jacobs’, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs utilizes diction in an isolated moment to construct the hostile relationship between a slave and her master. Jacobs frames a longer exchange between Dr. Flint and Linda, actively transitioning from dialogue into the narrative form where the reader is guided towards the diction.
This scene is introduced with Linda’s time away from her master, as she has not seen him for five days (Jacobs, 50). The scene moves along with disgrace and sin, as Dr. Flint verbally attacks Linda’s obedience. Once the dialogue fades back into Linda’s consciousness, Jacobs incorporates a combative language of warfare towards Dr. Flint. “My strongest weapon with him was gone” she says, “I was lowered in my own estimation, and had resolved to bear his abuse in silence.” (Jacobs, 50).
The diction Jacobs uses in this scene creates a style of weaponry that appears in a non-violent moment. As Jacobs refers to Linda’s “strongest weapon,” she elaborates with the words “lowered” and to “bear” guiding her next statements. Jacobs begins this sequence with the explicit statement of her “weapon” while leaving the next two figures in ambiguity. One may read these next choices as “lowering” one’s weapon as her “weapon with him was gone” while “bearing arms” in “silence.” (Jacobs, 50). The reader may wonder if this moment is a moment of surrender or realism in regards to a slave and their master. The constant abuse and rejection Linda faces throughout her relationship with Dr. Flint leaves her perhaps feeling outgunned and outmanned.
Jacobs only refers to weaponry one other time in this text. Both moments are in non-violent manners. How might Jacobs use a violent object in a non-aggressive moment to strengthen Linda’s story?
In what way does the idea of Linda “lowering her weapon” and “bearing his abuse in silent” reflect a submission to her master?