During the period of Early African-American Literature, the purpose behind authors’ works of literature was to expose the brutality of slavery, to demonstrate how slavery was bad for the dominant culture, to foster a positive race, and to exhibit what blacks did and how they could contribute to the American culture. Harriet Jacobs successfully accomplished these goals in her work Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. In this work of literature, Jacobs recognizes her own relative privilege. In her work she shows ways she exhibits agency in how she tries to make the situation better. Continue reading Harriet Jacobs