Charlotte Lin
The experiences of slavery portrayed by Harriet Jacobs in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Booker T. Washington’s Up from Slavery are distinctly unique, and in some aspects, incomparable in facets that stem from expectations in society as a woman versus a man. Washington’s writing depicted his main sufferings as unequal opportunities, specifically in education. There was a presence of laborious exploitation and people who took advantage of him; however, he never felt fears quite like Jacobs’, and he stated that one of the worst parts of his slave life was wearing painful clothing. Washington never had to worry about being sexually abused or having his body exploited in ways that women commonly faced. Although this was not the case for all men, both during slavery and modern-day society, women are constantly more targeted and subject to sexual violence, which brings a whole other level of trauma and abuse. Even though the two authors lived at separate times and experienced the slave system a bit differently, we can compare significantly impactful elements of slavery experiences that would only be linked to views revolving around gender constructs. This information is not to minimize the trials of male slavery, as there were also other expectations of men that were not required of women. However, it is still important to realize the differences and the lasting impacts of gender roles in society, represented through years of slavery.
Men were often assigned to do heavier labor duties and valued for their physical strength. As seen in Washington’s book, this proved to put the young boy at a disadvantage due to his smaller physique. On the other hand, there was a different standard for women, who were not only expected to perform regular field labor but also housework and childcare. In chapter five, “The Trials of Girlhood”, Jacobs expressed her sorrow at seeing two girls playing together. Two sisters raised by the same mother, except one was white and the other was her black slave. It was extremely common and expected of enslaved women to care for and parent their masters’ children, even if they had their own to look after as well. This began since their infancy, and slaves were also used to breastfeed their owners’ babies, since it was convenient for the masters and allowed the white mothers more mobility ("Exploitation through Reproductive Labor"). While men were physically, laboriously exploited for jobs that required immense strength, which could be dangerous and jeopardize their safety, in addition to common overworking labor, women were expected to act as mother figures and household caregivers. Besides working expectations, though, women were also used in other ways that less commonly occurred to men.
We can recall that a huge part of Jacobs’ struggles revolved around mental and physical abuse and isolation, as well as her status as a conventionally attractive woman. A significant theme that impacted how women were viewed was their sexuality, or “purity”. Virginity was an important label that mostly only mattered for women, which is a double standard that is still relevant in modern-day society as well. Purity culture believes in sexual abstinence as a positive trait; women's involvement in sexual activity is frowned upon and morally shaming. However, enslaved women were often unavoidably and forcibly sexually assaulted, or consequently punished if they refused sexual advances from a man (often their master). As depicted in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, the results of this morally demeaning belief around female sexual status caused unimaginable pains, both physical and mental. Not only were their bodies violated and taken advantage of, but society had also ingrained shame into the women, even if they were not at fault. They were loathed by the men’s wives and looked down on by peers, which risked confidence in their self-worth and challenged emotional stability.
Youth was also viewed as desirable, and many young, black, enslaved women were raped or sexually abused by their masters, viewed as objects that could be employed in common slave labor, but also to fulfill lustful desires or desires for control. Their reproductive organs could be exploited, especially because slavery was inherited, and this could economically benefit the owners. Heavy birthing pressure on women also took a toll on their bodies, and combined with constant labor, enslaved women were subject to seeing the doctors very frequently. Although slaveholders wanted to make the most out of their slaves, they had to keep them alive so as not to lose “property”. Remember, slaves were typically viewed as mere calculations for maximum economic profit, not as humans. Punishments were regularly performed with strategies to avoid accidentally killing the slaves, and also to preserve the women’s reproductive organs. In addition, doctors also viewed enslaved patients as experimental and status-increasing opportunities. The slaves never had a say in how much they were willing to risk themselves for treatment, as their bodies did not belong to them, and so doctors could freely use them for testing to further the development of medicine, as well as gain prestige in their field. Furthermore, the racialization of Black bodies as “strong and robust” caused doctors to overlook Black people’s pain sensitivity, and often didn’t bother to use anesthesia. The exploitation of women’s bodies as a vessel for labor services and an object to be used made them more susceptible than men to severe physical and mental traumas ("Exploitation through Reproductive Labor").
All victims of slavery were unforgivably robbed of their rights and quality of life; however, gender roles played a significant part in how people were treated, causing differences that could strongly affect individual perceptions and opinions. In Booker T. Washington’s writing, he was generously hopeful, as he recalled that everyone, both slaves and slaveowners, was only “victims of the institution”, and held very little resentment from his life as a slave boy. His expressed point of view was molded by his personality and efforts to be favored by wide audiences, but perhaps most importantly, his enslaved experience, in which the duration and severity should be accounted for. Although Washington’s experiences would have naturally differed from the lives of other enslaved people, it was especially less horrific and abusive than those of most women, such as Harriet Jacobs’, whose trials were not uncommonly similar to those of many female slaves at the time. Jacob’s story, while still humbly expressed, showed no signs of forgiveness after the torture she had suffered. Not because she was harsher or less forgivable, but because her writing choices were also shaped by personal experiences. Experiences of incomparable devastation that caused sustained mental and physical damage, due to events primarily resulting from gender inequality and sexual objectification. Both autobiographies were valid in reflecting different slave experiences, but it is important to acknowledge the effect of gender-based treatment and expectations that heavily changed the lives of millions of slaves.
Works Cited
“Exploitation through Reproductive Labor · Hidden Voices: Enslaved Women in the Lowcountry and U.S. South · Lowcountry Digital History Initiative.” Lowcountry Digital History Initiative, ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/hidden-voices/enslaved-women-and-slaveholder/reproductive-exploitation. Accessed 15 Sept. 2025.
