Free Essays on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† is the story of a girl born into slavery who’s will and determination never waiver as she fights for her freedom and the freedom of her children. Harriet Jacobs’ story brings to life the reality of slavery; the cruelty, the sexual relationships between master and slave, the psychological abuse, the separation of slave families, the dangers of escape, and the kindness that can be found in the middle of it all. Harriet was fortunate to be born into a position in which she could live with her mother and father and in fact did not even know she was a slave until her mother died. At that time she was sent to live with her mother’s mistress. This was also a fortunate position as her mistress was kind and compassionate and vowed to care for her in thanks for the many loyal years of service her mother had provided. However, her luck would not last as her mistress died and left Harriet to her niece, a five year old girl. This is when Dr. Norcom, the father of her mistress, entered her life and changed it forever. At only 15 years old Dr. Norcom began pursuing and harassing Harriet sexually but her hatred for him and the moral upbringing provided by her grandmother made her continually refuse and evade him. Harriett met another white man who became her lover and had two children with him. Because of the laws of that time her two children immediately became the property of Dr. Norcom as she was. Their father tried to buy her and their children but Dr. Norcom refused. Because of this, Harriett feared for her children and seriously began planning an escape. She ran away and after being hidden a few places by friends of the family she finally was hidden in the tiny crawl space above her grandmother’s house. The space was barely large enough for her body and allowed only limited movement. The space had no insulation or ventilation and so provided unbearable conditions for Harriett... Free Essays on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Free Essays on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Harriet Jacobs’ memoir, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, shows us the life of a female slave and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her master. This was very different than the abuse we have witnessed from the other slaves we’ve read about. This book was very moving, because it was the real life account of a woman who was sexually abused. It was revolting to read as well, because she made herself believe that the abuse she was suffering was OK, because that was how she served her master. Jacobs uses rhetoric very well to make the reader sickened and saddened at the same time. Jacobs uses rhetoric to gain sympathy for abused, enslaved females in the south by giving accounts of her life in slavery to northern white women. Other authors of books in this time who were slaves probably used rhetoric to target men for the most part. In this era, men were the ones who made a difference in the country. They fought in the wars and were the leaders in a family. Jacobs’s use of rhetoric to affect women in such a personal way as the sexual abuse of a woman must have, and still does, strike a chord in our hearts. It is upsetting to think that she made herself believe that it was her job to have sex with her master. I’m sure this was hard for northern white women to understand and her use of rhetoric is ideal to help them get angry at the slavery system. I am sure many women read this book and knew exactly how she felt and wanted to do something about the what slavery was doing to these women.... Free Essays on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Incidents Knowing that most Americans today will never truly know what slavery meant to those slaves who were held in captivation under it during the nation’s past, Harriet Jacobs still manages to paint a disturbing portrait in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl of how it changed her, effectively granting readers a better understanding of the institution. However, her narrative falls short in that she purely focuses on all the bad elements that had taken place in her life, thus reducing what genuinely seems to be an exemplary argument against slavery to - at times - no more than a plea for attention or an enticement for pity, despite her direct addresses to the contrary. Given, Jacobs was a slave, and she makes it expressly clear that it was not an enjoyable experience, but her work gives the impression that either she really had a terrible life, or she’s omitted nicer parts for the sake of shock value. Either way, her argument comes across, loud and clear. One of the more noticeable points of Jacobs’ writing is that she constantly addresses the reader, particularly people from the North and in several cases, women. This entreaty usually comes at the end of every other paragraph, and so the account is made to seem more like an address than a narrative. Dozens of phrases like â€Å"Oh, reader †¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"If you only knew †¦Ã¢â‚¬  are to be found in the text, and these almost make the story sound too melodramatic for it’s own good, if the goal of the author is to encourage the abolition of slavery. Where Jacobs fails to do much with her overly emphasized diction, however, she comes through with her accounts and stories about her and her life, which speak for themselves as ultimately championing freedom for all humanity. One particular section of the text is more disturbing than the rest though, not for depicting an incident of excessive cruelty, but because of it’s revelations about Jacobs. When the author writes â€Å"Ta... Free Essays on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Ashley Hand Slavery: The Moral Corruption of Family â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† is a narrative that describes a young girl’s trials and tribulations while being an involuntary member of the institution of slavery. Jacobs, like every other victim of the atrocity known as slavery, wishes that people in the north would do more to put a stop to this harmful practice. Slavery is an understood dishonor of the past. This is true, not only because of the injustices done to the slaves, but for the negative effects that the slave holders and their wives underwent. When there are basic rights of freedom being denied in a society, no ethical principles can be upheld. The fact that this sinful treatment of other human beings was permitted had a morally crippling effect not only on the principle victim, the slave, but on the entire household in which the slave resided. Slavery corrupted the morals of everyone within its reach. First and foremost, we must recognize that the primary and most directly affected victim due to slavery, is of course, the slave. Ranging from lashings, emotional struggles, and even death, slaves have felt the truest and most severe form of slavery. They are not allowed to own property because â€Å"according to Southern laws, a slave, being property, can hold no property†(6). Harriet Jacobs describes many of her misfortunes and happenings while under the thumb and close watch of Dr. Flint. She was degraded and insulted many times throughout her stay with him. For example, Jacobs recalls â€Å"When he told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his, never before had my puny arm felt half so strong†(18). This was only the beginning however, and pretty soon thereafter sexual advances were made by Dr. Flint in which he â€Å"peopled my young mind with unclean image s, such as only a vile monster could ... Free Essays on Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† is the story of a girl born into slavery who’s will and determination never waiver as she fights for her freedom and the freedom of her children. Harriet Jacobs’ story brings to life the reality of slavery; the cruelty, the sexual relationships between master and slave, the psychological abuse, the separation of slave families, the dangers of escape, and the kindness that can be found in the middle of it all. Harriet was fortunate to be born into a position in which she could live with her mother and father and in fact did not even know she was a slave until her mother died. At that time she was sent to live with her mother’s mistress. This was also a fortunate position as her mistress was kind and compassionate and vowed to care for her in thanks for the many loyal years of service her mother had provided. However, her luck would not last as her mistress died and left Harriet to her niece, a five year old girl. This is when Dr. Norcom, the father of her mistress, entered her life and changed it forever. At only 15 years old Dr. Norcom began pursuing and harassing Harriet sexually but her hatred for him and the moral upbringing provided by her grandmother made her continually refuse and evade him. Harriett met another white man who became her lover and had two children with him. Because of the laws of that time her two children immediately became the property of Dr. Norcom as she was. Their father tried to buy her and their children but Dr. Norcom refused. Because of this, Harriett feared for her children and seriously began planning an escape. She ran away and after being hidden a few places by friends of the family she finally was hidden in the tiny crawl space above her grandmother’s house. The space was barely large enough for her body and allowed only limited movement. The space had no insulation or ventilation and so provided unbearable conditions for Harriett...

SAT Analogies and Comparisons Why Were They Removed, and What Replaced Them

SAT Analogies and Comparisons Why Were They Removed, and What Replaced Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In 2005, major changes made to the question types in the reading and math sections of the SAT. Two types of comparison questions - quantitative comparison questions from math, and analogies from reading - were booted from the SAT. In this article I’ll give you the rundown on what these questions were like, how the SAT replaced them, and how questions have evolved even further on the 2016 version of the test. What Were SAT Quantitative Comparison Questions? Quatitative comparison questions used to be a considerable part of the math section (25 percent of questions).Instead of asking you to solve for a value, these questions asked you to determine which of two quantities was larger. Here’s an example: x and y are positive integers. 3x + 6y = 180,252 Column A Column B The maximum possible value of x The maximum possible value of y A. The quantity in Column A is greater.B. The quantity in Column B is greater.C. The two quantities are equal.D. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. (the answer is A) Why Were Quantitative Comparison Questions Removed? These questions were removed from the SAT in 2005. They were deemed to besomewhat irrelevant to core math skills and a bit too confusing.QC questions were also more reading-based - they were the only math questions that didn’t have symbolic or numerical answers.Ironically, removing them was a move towards making the math section MORE quantitative (that is, purely number or variable quantity-based rather than logical reasoning-based). The SAT was hoping to disentangle itself from its long-standing reputation as a "tricky" standardized test.Quantitative reasoning questions came across more as riddles than math questions because they don't ask you to find a numerical solution or use a well-outlined mathematical skill set. Which Questions Replaced Quantitative Comparison Questions? The 2005-2015 SAT: New algebra II-related topics were added to the math section to replace quantitative comparison questions.These included: exponential growth, manipulation of fractional and negative exponents, functional notation, absolute value, equations of lines, and data interpretation. Quantitative comparison questions were replaced with questions that specifically targeted areas of math that students were familiar with from algebra and geometry classes and could be used to demonstrate a strong understanding of core math principles. The Current (2016) SAT: Not too much has changedfrom the previous version, but a few more math topics have been added.These include: basic trigonometry, more data interpretation, questions that invoke real life scenarios, and more in-depth questions involving algebra and solving equations. The latest version of the SAT wants to make sure students have a solid understanding of foundational math concepts AND can apply those concepts in real life. Here's an example of a math question that might appear on the current SAT: This question asks you to use your mathematical skills to analyze a real data set. The ability to answer quesitons like this more accurately reflects career and college preparedness than performance on quantitative comparison questions, which were totally disconnected from real life scenarios. What Were SAT Analogy Questions? These were the original stereotypical SAT questions.You were given a pair of words and asked to choose from five other pairs of words to find the relationship that most closely resembled that of the first pair. In the following example, you can interpret the dots as the words â€Å"is to† so you would think of it as â€Å"Paltry is to significance as _______ is to _________.† where the blanks are the two words in one of the answer choices. PALTRY : SIGNIFICANCE :: A. redundant : discussionB. austere : landscapeC. opulent : wealthD. oblique : familiarityE. banal : originality (the correct answer is E) An interpretation of this painting with all the words from the wrong answers: "I'm sick of these redundant discussions in this austere landscape on subjects with which I only have a very oblique familiarity. Let's go rob a bank and buy an opulent mansion with our newfound wealth." Why Were SAT Analogy Questions Removed? Analogy questions were removed in 2005 when the verbal reasoning section of the SAT was renamed "critical reading".These questions were criticized for being irrelevant to success in a college or work environment. Analogy questions gave the SAT its reputation for using â€Å"tricky† question formats and being a puzzle rather than a straightforward assessment. They were also criticized for being biased towards certain socioeconomic groups.This question in particular was called out by the National Center for Fair Open Testing for providing a clear advantage to coastal elites: RUNNER: MARATHON :: A) envoy: embassyB) martyr: massacreC) oarsman: regattaD) referee: tournamentE) horse: stable The answer was C, but unless you own at least one pair of salmon-colored shorts you probably don't have more than a vague idea of the relationship between those terms. It was also argued that analogies could be coached (giving more advantage to kids who can afford tutors) and used vocabulary that was too unorthodox for most students to know.On an analogy question, you can’t rely on context if you don’t know the meaning of a word. You’re basically stuck with guessing.Try comparing apples to oranges when you don’t know what an orange is or you think you have a vague idea that it might also be some kind of food. It’s...fruitless. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Which Questions Replaced Analogy Questions? The 2005-2015 SAT: Sentence completion questionswere the closest analogue (sorry, the wordplay is getting out of hand) to analogy questions on the 2005-2015 version of the SAT. Though they were also on the SAT prior to 2005, after the removal of analogy questions they became the only real vocab-centric questions in the Critical Reading section. These questions called for skills inidentifying vocabulary in the context of a sentence.You were given a sentence with one or two blanks and asked to choose the best vocabulary word to fill in the blank(s). Here’s an example about Jones, who you find out was actually a ghost the whole time at the end of the SAT: ____ by nature, Jones spoke very little even to his own family members. A. garrulousB. equivocalC. taciturnD. arrogantE. gregarious (the answer is C) You can see how these questions might still present a problem if you don’t have an advanced vocabulary, but they did give you a little more to work with if you weren't sure of the exact definitions of the words. The Current SAT: On the current SAT, sentence completion questions are replaced with vocabulary in context questions.Thesequestions are similar to reading questions found on the ACT. You are asked to pick out the closest synonym for a vocabulary word that appears in a passage. Here’s an example: ...The coming decades will likely see more intense clustering of jobs, innovation, and productivity in a smaller number of bigger cities and city-regions. Some regions could end up bloated beyond the capacity of their infrastructure, while others struggle, their promise stymied by inadequate human or other resources. As used in line 55, â€Å"intense† most nearly means A) emotional.B) concentrated.C) brilliant.D) determined.(the answer is B) The goal of these questions is to encourage students to understand the nuances in meaning of more common words rather than overwhelming them with a bunch of archaic vocabulary.The best way to study for these types of questions is to focus on honing your passage reading skills.The ability to read and interpret the meanings of passages correctly is key on the current version of the SAT because all questions in the reading section are passage-based. Conclusion Essentially, the SAT removed these old types of questions to reduce criticisms about inequality. The test continuously finds itself under fire for the direct proportionality of family income to test scores, and it has made numerous efforts over the years to reinvent itself to combat this problem. In a decade, we may see yet another re-imagining of the SAT to tackle these issues in a different way. What's Next? It's not just the SAT Math section that asks you to read charts and graphs. The Reading and Writing sections have data interpretation questions as well. Learn more about the best ways to solve them. You should also check out this guide to figure out when you should take the SAT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: