Harriet Jacobs' moving text Incidents in the Life of a Slave is an incredible narrative that tells the story of a slave named Linda and her his resilient fight for freedom. However, as he takes us through his journey, we come to see that the concept of freedom is not a clear entity at all. He associates the idea of ​​freedom with different things throughout his journey: religion, certain places, the economy, even people, and through these different definitions and explorations, in the last chapter it becomes clear that freedom has no definition at all unique. Rather, freedom is a process, a flexible concept, and a strong mindset, all of which are clearly highlighted throughout Linda's journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A recurring theme in Jacobs' text is religion and Christianity. It includes many biblical allusions, references to Christianity, and other mentions of God, church, and prayer, however, they are not quite the reverent, spiritual, and positive references one might expect. Linda clearly struggles with the meaning of religion and the role it plays in her life. For her, it seems to be more of a process, rather than an object: not only is it inconsistent, but Jacobs articulates her experiences with slave owners who use Christianity and religion to legitimize the horrors they inflict, and how they often manipulate words of slavers. Bible and religion to assert one's authority. “[Slave owners] seem to satisfy their conscience with the doctrine that God created Africans as slaves. What a defamation against the heavenly Father, who "made of one blood all the nations of men!" (40) Linda's references to religion become increasingly bitter, as she begins to use the word "Christian" sarcastically. “As Mrs. Flint went out,” Linda tells us, “Sally told her that the reason Benny was lame was because a dog had bitten him. “I'm happy about it,” she replied. “I wish he had killed him. That would be great news to send to his mother. His day will come. The dogs will grab her again.' With these Christian words she and her husband departed” (103). In Linda's story, "Christian" is used sarcastically, highlighting the acrimony Linda feels about the role both religion and Christianity play in slavery. “I supposed,” Linda reveals, “that religion had a purifying effect on the character of men; but the worst persecutions I endured from him were after he had communicated” (65). His negative reaction to religion seems completely legitimate when we see how religion itself is used as the foundation of his own slavery. As confusing and contradictory as the idea of ​​religion becomes in this text, the fact that it is associated with freedom actually highlights the similarities between the two. However, religion is something that often provides escape or comfort in the midst of hardship; in this case it is used as a vehicle to impose Linda's slavery and therefore constitutes an obstacle on her path to freedom. Linking religion to freedom in this way goes a long way toward showing that both ideas are flexible, inconsistent, and very open to interpretation. The idea of ​​freedom is explored not only through Linda's relationship with religion, but she also comes to associate freedom with specific places throughout her journey, with the meaning of freedom changing as she moves from one place to another. He resides in many different physical locations in the text: starting in North Carolina, he eventually escapes toPhiladelphia, then New York, then he moves to Boston, then England, then back to Boston, and finally the story ends with the possibility of a move to far western California. Harriet Jacobs talks about freedom in terms of places in a very abstract and intriguing way. One might assume just from hearing about the physical countries, cities, and states that Linda experiences on her journey, that the story will automatically paint Southern and Northern places very differently. While it is true that Linda sees the "north" as a place of freedom while still living in her hometown of North Carolina, her arrival in Philadelphia, then New York and Boston, does not automatically offer her the complete freedom she was waiting for. North Carolina itself is of course the place rooted in Linda's slavery, but it is also where she first embarks on her path to freedom, fleeing from Dr. Flint and hiding under his nose for years. and freedom is still in North Carolina, Linda finally escapes by boat and is in awe of her arrival in Philadelphia. “During the day I heard women crying for fresh fish, berries, radishes and various other things. This was all new to me. I dressed early and sat at the window to watch that unknown tide of life. Philadelphia seemed like a wonderfully fantastic place to me” (134). However, he comes to realize that the "north" - Philadelphia, then New York, then Boston - are not the free cities of his dreams. She is constantly worried about being recognized, recaptured, and returned to slavery, and with Jim Crow and fugitive slave laws, she comes to the realization that there isn't as much of a difference between the North and the South as she does. initially thought, holed up in North Carolina at the start of her perilous journey. Once again, we see freedom with respect to these places in the same nuanced sense as religion. These places are neither completely free nor completely confined, and one could argue about which places are better than others. However, Linda's constant movement from place to place and desire to continue working to gain more freedom for herself and her children highlights the adaptable and inconsistent nature of freedom. Although many slaves achieved freedom through economic means, whether they somehow managed to get enough money to buy their lives, or if someone else bought freedom for them: Linda does not believe that she should buy her freedom. He comes to this realization as he matures through his journey and experiences. Early in his story, he consoles his brother, lamenting that "they will have to stay here all our days" and desperately lamenting, "'we will never be free'." Linda, however, responded by arguing that "we were getting older and stronger, and that perhaps, before long, we might be allowed to spend our time, and then we might earn money to buy our freedom" ( 12) After enduring so many hardships and experiencing so much on her journey to freedom, however, Linda realizes and solidifies her belief in her own natural right to freedom, something that she, or anyone else, should buy Mr. Dodge, in the final chapter, arrives in New York to try to get Linda back, his friend tells him, "'I heard her say she would go to the ends of the earth, rather than pay any man or woman for it." his freedom, because he believes he is entitled to it”” (161). This change in Linda's confidence and mentality regarding her right to freedom reaches the point that freedom is a process in the development of a certain mentality a specific physical location or to pay acertain amount of money: it's about having the strength, will and faith in your humanity to make the sacrifices to work towards your freedom. Throughout her journey, Linda associates the idea of ​​freedom with many different people. Her grandmother is one of the first people she describes as "free", and thus plays an important role in the path to her freedom: hosting her, helping her escape, and ensuring the safety of her children, among other things. Her grandmother seems to simultaneously represent a sense of freedom, but Lindala also clearly associates slavery and imprisonment as well, as she was essentially trapped for many years in her home in North Carolina, in the limbo between freedom and slavery. Linda also discusses the idea of ​​freedom in agreement with her master, Dr. Flint. His manipulative, cruel, and predatory nature has been described in detail, and although he technically offers Linda "a home and freedom" (70), she admits that she "knew that my master's offer was a trap, and that if If I had entered I would have run away." it would be impossible... if he gave me free documents, they would be handled in such a way that they had no legal value... even if I knelt before him and begged him to spare me, for the sake of my children, I knew who would reject me with his foot, and my weakness would be his triumph” (71). For Linda, there is no achievement of freedom where Dr. Flint is concerned, and as a slave owner, he comes to represent the absolute antithesis of freedom. “I was always treated kindly,” observes Linda, “until I came into the hands of Doctor Flint. Until then I had never wanted freedom” (96). This highlights an interesting idea: although Doctor Flint characterizes the opposite of freedom, it was his emergence into Linda's life that gave her the first hopes of realizing her own freedom. Finally, the people most associated with freedom in Linda's story are her children. They serve as the ultimate motivation to continue on her path and she mentions them and her commitment to their liberation every step of the way. “I dreamed of freedom… more for the sake of my children than for my own,” he admitted. “I could have escaped on my own; but it was more for my defenseless children than for myself that I desired freedom... every trial I endured, every sacrifice I made for their good, brought them closer to my heart and gave me new courage to reject the dark waves crashing and rolled over me in a seemingly endless night of storms” (70). Linda's touching dedication to her children and the passion they inspire in her point to the root of the relationship between people and freedom. Even with Dr. Flint, essentially representing the institution of slavery itself, Linda still used him as a person to motivate her. on his journey to achieve freedom. His grandmother and her children play similar roles, showing us the reasoning behind the resilient mindset that is the definition of freedom in this story. Linda's unwavering strength, will, conviction, and desire to achieve freedom for herself and for the sake of her children follows her into the final chapter of her story. The final chapter of Incidents represents the ongoing struggle that characterizes freedom. The story ends without her achieving total and absolute freedom, as she announces that her “story ends with freedom… my children and I are free now! We are as free from the power of the slave owners as the white Northerners are; and although this, in my opinion, does not say much, it is a considerable improvement in my condition. However, as Linda's journey shows us; the institution of slavery never allows you to truly have that pure and complete sense.