Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself

Harriet Ann Jacobs2015年3月

评分 4.0

字数: 9.6万字
章节数: 48

内容简介

Born into slavery, Linda spends her early years in a happy home with her mother and father, who are relatively well-off slaves. When her mother dies, six-year-old Linda is sent to live with her mother's mistress,who treats her well and teaches her to read.After a few years, this mistress dies and bequeaths Linda to a relative. Her new masters are cruel and neglectful,and Dr. Flint,the father,takes an interest in Linda and tries to force her into a sexual relationship with him. Linda continues to thwart his attempts and maintain her distance.Knowing that Flint will do anything to get his way,Linda consents to a love affair with a white neighbor,Mr.Sands.She is ashamed at her discretion,but she knows it is better than being raped by Dr.Flint.During their affair,Mr.Sands and Linda have two children.Their names are Benjamin,who is often called Benny in the narrative,and Ellen.Throughout her narrative,Jacobs argues that a powerless slave girl cannot be held to the same standards of morality as a free woman.She also has practical reasons for agreeing to the affair:she hopes that when Flint finds out about it,he will sell her to Sands in disgust.Instead,the vengeful Flint sends Linda to his son's plantation to be broken in as a field hand.

编辑推荐

这是一部以第一人称讲述的奴隶制亲历记：琳达出生在奴隶家庭，幼年尚有相对安稳的生活，母亲去世后被送到女主人家，学会识字；女主人去世后，她又被遗赠给新的主人，遭遇冷酷对待，并被迫面对男主人的骚扰与威胁。书的价值不在于抽象控诉，而在于把制度性的压迫落到具体的人、具体的选择与具体的恐惧上，让读者看到奴隶身份如何侵入亲情、身体与母职。叙述克制而细密，许多场景靠细节推进，读来沉重却有力量。它适合在历史、文学与性别研究的阅读中作为一手叙事使用，也适合想理解美国奴隶制日常经验的普通读者。阅读时宜放慢速度，留意叙述者的躲藏、迁徙与为子女所做的安排，这些细节构成她对自由的争取。由于题材涉及性胁迫、家庭分离与暴力，读者需要做好情绪准备，必要时分段阅读并留出消化时间。

适合谁读

适合

对美国奴隶制历史与非裔文学感兴趣、想读一手叙事的读者
历史、文学、性别研究课程中需要原始文本的学生与教师
关注自传写作、见证文学与边缘群体发声的阅读者
愿意面对沉重题材、希望理解制度如何影响个体生活的成熟读者

不适合

年龄较小或对暴力、性胁迫题材敏感的读者
只想读轻松故事、不愿承受沉重情绪压力的休闲读者
期待系统理论分析而非个人亲历叙事的学术读者

阅读建议

先了解作品的自传性质与时代背景，再进入正文，减少把叙述误当虚构的偏差。
分段阅读，每读完一个阶段停一停，梳理琳达的处境变化与她所做的选择。
留意识字、躲藏、迁徙、亲子关系等细节，它们是理解其争取自由方式的关键。
可配合美国奴隶制历史的概览材料对照阅读，把个人经历放回制度脉络中。

版权信息
Preface By The Author
Introduction By The Editor
Chapter One
I. Childhood
II. The New Master And Mistress.
III. The Slaves' New Year's Day.
IV. The Slave Who Dared To Feel Like A Man.
V. The Trials Of Girlhood.
VI. The Jealous Mistress.
VII. The Lover.
VIII. What Slaves Are Taught To Think Of The North.
IX. Sketches Of Neighboring Slaveholders.
X. A Perilous Passage In The Slave Girl's Life.
XI. The New Tie To Life.
XII. Fear Of Insurrection.
XIII. The Church And Slavery.
XIV. Another Link To Life.
XV. Continued Persecutions.
Chapter Two
XVI. Scenes At The Plantation.
XVII. The Flight.
XVIII. Months Of Peril.
XIX. The Children Sold.
XX. New Perils.
XXI. The Loophole Of Retreat.
XXII. Christmas Festivities.
XXIII. Still In Prison.
XXIV. The Candidate For Congress.
XXV. Competition In Cunning.
XXVI. Important Era In My Brother's Life.
XXVII. New Destination For The Children.
XXVIII. Aunt Nancy.
Chapter Three
XXIX. Preparations For Escape.
XXX. Northward Bound.
XXXI. Incidents In Philadelphia.
XXXII. The Meeting Of Mother And Daughter.
XXXIII. A Home Found.
XXXIV. The Old Enemy Again.
XXXV. Prejudice Against Color.
XXXVI. The Hairbreadth Escape.
XXXVII. A Visit To England
XXXVIII. Renewed Invitations To Go South.
XXXIX. The Confession.
XL. The Fugitive Slave Law.
XLI. Free At Last.
APPENDIX.

常见问题

这本书是小说还是真实经历？

它是作者以自己经历为基础写成的自传性叙事，书中以琳达称呼叙述者。阅读时可把它当作见证文学而非虚构小说，这样更能理解其中细节的分量与作者讲述的用意。

书中涉及哪些需要留意的敏感内容？

叙述涉及奴隶主对女奴的性胁迫与骚扰、家庭分离、暴力与长期恐惧等。题材沉重，情绪敏感的读者宜分段阅读，或先了解梗概再决定是否进入细节。

为什么叙述者要强调自己学会识字？

资料显示她幼年由女主人教她读书识字。识字在奴隶制下是被限制的能力，这一细节既关乎她的成长，也提示知识、书写与争取自主之间的关联，阅读时值得留意。

怎样读才能不被沉重感压住？

建议设定固定阅读量，每次只读一章或一个阶段，读后写几句感受再放下；也可与朋友或读书小组共读，讨论叙述者的选择与处境，避免独自长时间沉浸于压抑情节。

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作者简介

Harriet Ann Jacobs 作者 · 美国 · 1813–1897

哈丽雅特·安·雅各布斯（Harriet Ann Jacobs，1813—1897），美国非裔作家。她出生于美国，亲身经历奴隶制度，并以自传《女奴生平》（Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself）记录这段经历。该书以第一人称叙述，讲述她在奴隶制下的生活与寻求自由的历程，是美国非裔女性自述文学的重要作品。就目前公开资料而言，关于她生平的记载较为有限，其文学地位主要建立在这部自传之上。作品常被归入励志成长类，因其真实呈现个人在压迫环境中的挣扎与坚韧，至今仍被阅读和研究。