Harriet Jacobs' moving text, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is an incredible narrative telling the story about a slave named Linda and her resilient fight for freedom. However, as she guides us through her journey, we see that the concept of freedom is by no means a clearly defined entity, either one or the other. She associates the idea of ​​freedom with different things throughout her journey: religion, certain places, the economy, even people, and through these different definitions and explorations, in the final chapter, it becomes clear that freedom Freedom by no means has a single definition. Rather, freedom is a process, a flexible concept and a strong state of mind, which is clearly manifested throughout Linda's journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayA 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, but they are not the fully reverential, spiritual, and positive references one might expect. Linda clearly struggles with the meaning of religion and the role it plays in her life. To her, it seems to be more of a process than an object – not only is it inconsistent, but Jacobs expresses her experiences with slave owners using Christianity and religion to legitimize the horrors they inflicted, and how they often manipulated the words of the Bible and religion to assert their authority. “[Slave owners] seem to satisfy their conscience with the doctrine that God created Africans to be slaves. What slander against the heavenly Father, who “has 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 was going out,” Linda tells us, “Sally told her that the reason Benny was limping was because a dog had bitten him. “I’m happy about it,” she replied. “I wish he would have killed him. This would be good news to send to his mother. His day will come. The dogs will catch it soon. With these Christian words, she and her husband departed” (103). In Linda's story, the word "Christian" is used sarcastically, emphasizing the acrimony Linda feels toward the role 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 suffered from him took place after he became a communicant” (65). His negative reaction towards religion seems entirely legitimate when we see how religion itself is used as a basis for his own subjugation. As confusing and contradictory as the idea of ​​religion is 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 difficulties; in this case, it is used as a means to enforce Linda's own enslavement and therefore constitutes an obstacle on her path to freedom. Connecting religion to freedom in this way is an important piece of evidence proving that both ideas are flexible, inconsistent, and highly open to interpretation. The idea of ​​freedom is explored not only through Linda's relationship with religion, but she also comes toassociating freedom with specific places throughout her journey, the meaning of freedom changing as she moves from place to place. She resides in many different physical locations throughout the text: starting in North Carolina, eventually fleeing to Philadelphia, then New York, then moving to Boston, then England, then back to Boston, and finally the story ends with the possibility of moving far west to California. Harriet Jacobs talks about freedom in terms of places in a very abstract and intriguing way. One would assume just by hearing about the physical towns, cities, and states that Linda experiences during her journey, that the story would automatically portray southern and northern locations very differently. While it is true that Linda considers the "North" a place of freedom while still living in her town in North Carolina, her arrival in Philadelphia, then New York and Boston does not automatically offer her the total freedom that 'she had before. waiting for. North Carolina itself is obviously the place where Linda's enslavement originated, but it's also where she first embarks on her path to freedom, escaping Dr. Flint and hiding for years under his nose. After remaining in limbo between confinements and freedom still in North Carolina, Linda finally manages to escape by boat and is amazed upon her arrival in Philadelphia. “In the daylight I could hear women shouting about fresh fish, berries, radishes and various other things. This was all new to me. I dressed early and sat at the window to observe this unknown flow of life. Philadelphia seemed to me a wonderfully great place” (134). However, she realizes that the “North” – Philadelphia, then New York, then Boston – are not the free cities of her dreams. She is constantly afraid of being recognized, captured again, and taken back into slavery, and with Jim Crow and the Fugitive Slave Act, she realizes that there isn't as much difference between the North and the South what. She thought at first, trapped in North Carolina at the start of her perilous journey. Again, we see freedom in relation to these places in the same nuanced sense of religion. These places are neither completely free nor completely confined, and debates could be had about which ones are better than the others. However, Linda's continued movement from place to place and her desire to continue working to obtain more freedom for herself and her children highlight the adaptable and inconsistent nature of freedom. Although many slaves gained their freedom through economic means—whether or not they had enough money during their lifetime to buy themselves, or if someone else purchased their freedom for them—Linda does not believe not that she should have to buy her freedom. She comes to this realization as she matures through her journey and experiences. Early in her story, she consoles her brother, lamenting that they "will have to stay here all our days" and desperately complaining, "'we will never be free.' Linda, however, responded by asserting, "that we were growing older and stronger, and that perhaps we might, before long, be allowed to devote our own time, and then we might earn money for buy our freedom” (12). After enduring so much hardship and experiencing so much along her journey to freedom, Linda realizes and solidifies her belief in her own natural right to freedom – something she, or anyone else, , should have to buy. When Mr. Dodge, in the last chapter, arrives in New York to tryto get Linda back, her friend said to her: “I heard her say that she would go to the ends of the earth, rather than pay any man or woman. for her freedom, because she thinks she has the right to it” (161). This change in Linda's confidence and mentality regarding her own right to freedom reaches the point where freedom is a process of developing a certain state of mind. It's not about reaching a certain physical location or paying a specific amount of money – it's about having the strength, will, and faith in one's humanity to make the sacrifices necessary to work toward his own 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 that is why her grandmother plays a big role on the path to her own freedom: by housing her, by helping her to escaping and ensuring the safety of their children, among other things. Her grandmother simultaneously seems to represent a sense of freedom, but Linda also clearly associates it with slavery and confinement, given that she was essentially trapped at home in North Carolina for many years, in the limbo between freedom and slavery. Linda also discusses the idea of ​​freedom according to 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 my master's offer was a trap and that if I entered it, I would escape it.” would be impossible... if he gave me free papers, they would be handled in such a way that they would have no legal value... even if I had to kneel before him and beg him to spare me, for the sake of my children, I knew that he would reject me with his foot, and my weakness would be his triumph” (71). For Linda, there is no infringement of liberty where Dr. Flint is concerned, and as a slave owner he comes to represent the absolute antithesis of liberty. “I was always treated kindly,” notes Linda, “until I fell into the hands of Dr. Flint. Until then, I had never wanted freedom” (96). This highlights an interesting idea: although Dr. Flint typifies 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 provide her with 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 my children’s sake than for my own,” she admitted. “I could have escaped alone; but it was more for my helpless children than for myself that I yearned for freedom... every trial I endured, every sacrifice I made for them, brought them closer to my heart and gave new courage to push back the rolling dark waves. and rolled over me in a night of seemingly endless storms” (70). Linda's heartwarming devotion 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, who essentially represents the institution of slavery itself, Linda always used him as a person to motivate her. in his journey to achieve freedom. Her grandmother and 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 follow her..