The narrative details her experience of slavery; emphasizing the sexual harassment she experienced working in the home of Dr. Flint who was her white master. Because Jacobs" grandmother was well known and respected in the community and lived nearby, Dr. Flint was a little afraid to lose his reputation if he forced himself on Jacobs where it might be discovered and spread to the rest of the community. Moreover, in the story she wrote, she reveals that, "My master was, to my knowledge, the father of eleven slaves. But did the mothers dare to tell who was the father of their children? Did the other slaves dare to allude to it? .They knew too well the terrible consequences" (Jacobs 471). For the enslaved woman, race and gender meant a double oppression: not only was the produce of her labor owned by the master, but her body and her reproductive power as well. Almost daily slave women plotted ways and processes in which they could express their anger against the institution of slavery. Revolts and uprising often stemmed from this. The slaves were not going to take this evil form of institutionalization without a fight. Even though the penalty was extremely harsh for disobedience, many still tried to either escape or rebel. It was their right to fight for their respect and dignity.
Harriet Jacobs' story brought into the public and political arena the sexual oppression of captive black women. In searching for a resolution to this conflict, Jacobs demonstrates the power of personal agency in thought, speech, and action. Jacobs suggests that slave women be judged by different standards than those applied to other women, and in doing so develops a moral code that addresses the specific social and historical position of captive black women. Yet, Jacobs' work goes beyond this: her ingenuity, strength of will, and power of speech were standards of womanly behavior being newly developed by the emerging feminist movement.
