An Analysis Of Black Motherhood In Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

Harriet Jacobs is considered to be the first black female writer who wrote slave narratives. Her work Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl highlights the cruel suffering of black women in slavery, vividly represents their hard exploration for survival and freedom. Through interpreting the images of black mothers in Incidents, adopting Andrea O’Reilly’s black motherhood theory, the thesis discusses Jacobs’inheritance as black motherhood tradition, and then unearths the deep connotation and significance of black motherhood.The thesis is divided into five parts. The introduction part first briefly introduces the author Harriet Jacobs and her work Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and then analyzes the research results both at home and abroad about Jacobs’work. And finally it elucidates the research significance and purpose. Chapter One first analyzes Andrea O’Reilly’s theory about black motherhood, which contains the mothering modes in African American society and the functions of black motherhood. And then it discusses the significance of the theory. Chapter two analyzes the first mothering mode-mothering in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. It exposes the suffering of the the slave children and black mothers in slavery, and then discusses black mothers’various forms of love for the the slave children, which stresses the important role of black mothering in the growing process of the the slave children. Chapter Three analyzes another mothering mode-othermothering in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. It discusses the love and care of black othermothers, as representatives of Martha, Nancy and Linda, to the slave children in slavery, and their efforts and sacrifices for white children. By this, it stresses the important role that othermothering played in African American society and culture. The conclusion part summarizes black mothers’ hard exploration in slavery, and points out that black mothers are the guides of the slave children’s survival and the companions of white children even though they were in low social status. And it then concludes that black motherhood is a kind of maternal love, which transcends blood and race relationship.