"But I now entered on my fifteenth year - a sad epoch in the life of a slave girl. My master began to whisper foul words in my ear. Young as I was, I could not remain ignorant of their import"
- Harriet Ann Jacobs
About this Quote
This quote from Harriet Ann Jacobs paints a dazzling photo of the life of a slave woman. At the age of fifteen, she was exposed to the severe facts of enslavement. Her master started to whisper nasty words in her ear, and in spite of her young age, she was not ignorant of their significance. This quote highlights the susceptability of young slave girls, that were typically subject to sexual assault as well as exploitation. It additionally works as a pointer of the power inequality between servants as well as their masters, as well as the lack of defense paid for to servants. This quote is a powerful tip of the injustices of enslavement and the nerve of those that endured it.
"Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage"