A slave girl outwits her slaveholder’s sexual harassment by sleeping with his rival. She flees, hides for years, escapes to freedom, and becomes the first slave woman to write about women’s lives in slavery.

SYNOPSIS:

HARRIET JACOBS is born (1813) into slavery. In her early years, her family and mother-like mistress shelter her from experiencing the atrocities of slavery. Her mistress teaches her sewing, reading, and writing. However, everything changes when her mistress dies in 1825 and instead of gaining her freedom, Harriet is willed to her mistress’ three-year-old niece. Just two years after moving into her new mistress’s home, she experiences continuous sexual harassment from her master, DR. JAMES NORCOM, and bitter jealously from his wife, MARIA NORCOM. When Dr. Norcom’s sexual harassments become unbearable, she tries to dissuade him by taking chores directly with Mrs. Norcom. But this plan fails. Then she falls in love with a free black man hoping to discourage Dr. Norcom’s advances but it’s her lover who is discouraged from fighting for her freedom. When Harriet finds herself in a hopeless position, she tries to outwit her tormentor by sleeping with his archenemy, SAMUEL SAWYER.

Harriet keeps her secret until she announces her pregnancy, which infuriates Dr. Norcom and his advances increase. Recognizing the failure of her plan, she sleeps with Samuel again and ends up bearing another child. Dr. Norcom’s advances do not stop, and she loses the respect of her grandmother, MOLLY Horniblow, which she values more than anything in the world. She also loses faith in Samuel’s broken promises to protect their children. When Dr. Norcom’s gives her an ultimatum of sleeping with him or he will sell her children, she plans her escape. She escapes and stays with a friend in town until she can get out of town. But word gets out that Harriet is still in town. Then her uncle builds a small room in her grandmother’s attic that is nine feet long, seven feet wide, and three feet tall. Harriet spends seven years hiding in the attic, watching her children grow, and writing about the atrocities of slavery. Again, she and her family hear people talking about seeing her. Afraid of repercussions, she escapes with the help of her uncle.

Right after landing in Philadelphia in 1842, she moves to New York where she works as a nanny for NATHANIEL WILLIS. Eventually, Dr. Norcom finds her address and Harriet flees to Boston. After a short period in Boston, she moves back to New York to resume her nanny role for Mr. Willis and his second wife. When her grandmother informs her that her tormentor has finally died, Harriet’s anxiety increases as she knows her legal mistress is alive and will come for her. A few months later, Dr. Norcom’s son-in-law shows up to the Willis’s home and demands Harriet’s return. Mrs. Willis offers him $300 and buys Harriet’s freedom. She later writes and publishes her story and the cruelty of slavery on women.

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL