Douglass vs. Jacobs

     

Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs were both escaped slaves who were encouraged to write down their stories to promote the abolitionist movement.  Both of their narratives showed the horrors that they had witnessed and experienced, and yet the stories are as different as they are alike.


     Frederick Douglass is still well renowned for his writings on his experiences in slavery, and he is by far the best writer - in terms of technique - of the slave authors we have read so far.  His style of writing and usage of language is extremely elegant, as much so or more than any educated person at the time.

     However, his story lacks the emotional depth of Harriet Jacobs.  Even though his writings portray the horrors of slavery very strongly, he retains a more factual approach to his narrative.  Douglass' style of writing seems to distance itself from the readers, remaining composed even while he describes the atrocities he witnessed.  He tells what happened, but he rarely, if ever, mentions the emotions that he felt when it happened. 

"he rushed at me with the fierceness of a tiger, tore off my clothes, and lashed me till he had worn out his switches, cutting me so savagely as to leave the marks visible for a long time after" (1773).

      Jacobs, on the other hand, uses a style of writing that is much more personal.  Although it is well written, it does not have the technical precision of Douglass' writing.  She writes much more freely, relying more on the story itself than on the writing.  She seems to speak directly to readers, telling not only what happened, but also showing the emotional impact it had on her.

"How long those hours seemed, and how fervently I prayed that God would not forsake me in this hour of utmost need!  I was about to risk every thing on the throw of a die; and if I failed, O what would become of me and my poor children?  They would be made to suffer for my fault" (1740).

      Although both of their narratives are extremely moving, Jacobs' narrative is much more emotionally powerful.  Of the two writers, Douglass is unquestionably better known, but if I had to choose between the two, I would have chosen to read Jacobs.

Works Cited

Perkins, George, and Barbara Perkins.  The American Tradition in Literature.  12th ed. Vol. 1. Boston.  McGraw-Hill, 2009.  Print.