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.
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