"DURING the first years of my service in Dr. Flint's family, I was accustomed to share some indulgences with the children of my mistress"

This quote by Harriet Ann Jacobs speaks to the tough and complicated relationship in between enslaved people and their enslavers. Jacobs was a servant in Dr. Flint's family, and in this quote she is describing the small compassions she was allowed to share with the kids of her girlfriend. This quote highlights the power dynamics between enslaved people and their enslavers, as Jacobs was not allowed to share these indulgences with her own kids, however was instead anticipated to supply them to the children of her mistress. It likewise talks to the humanity of enslaved individuals, as Jacobs had the ability to discover minutes of happiness and connection with the kids of her enslaver. This quote is an effective pointer of the strength of enslaved individuals, and the methods which they had the ability to find minutes of joy and connection even in the midst of oppression.