The Horror of Slavery: Gothic Motifs in 'Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl' Lauren Everhart-Deckard College

Harriet Jacobs was the first African American woman to author a slave narrative in the United States. Her autobiographical novel, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, was originally published under the pseudonym Linda Brent. The story follows ‘Brent’ as she is subjected to the horrors of slavery, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The novel is fraught with Gothic motifs, and although the abundance of Gothic aspects may appear to be coincidental on account of slavery’s inherent terribleness, the inclusion of Gothic elements may be more intentional. The book was published by Lydia Maria Child, a well-known abolitionist, and her motivation, like the aim of all abolitionist publishers, was to convince Northerners of the immorality of slavery. By implementing several Gothic motifs throughout the piece, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl demonstrates to a white literary audience the intrinsic horror of slavery.

One aspect of the Gothic literature aesthetic found in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a terror inducing presence. The presence can be either seen or unseen — the importance lies in the uncanniness of its constancy. In Jacobs’ narrative, her abusive master, ‘Dr. Flint’ (in actuality, his name was...