How is Harriet Jacobs' "The incidents in the life of a slave girl" a RESPONSE to Sades' Misfortunes of Virtue

Question

I need an outline more like an argument to complete this essay!!

Answer 1

WOW you have asked a major question here. As someone who has done a lot of research on Donatien de Sade, give me a couple mins and I will add to this answer. Pax C.

Well - I guess I would have to say that de Sade always claimed that this was Justine's nature, and indeed in the end, he shows her depressed and missing "the lifestyle" just as Anne Rice did in the last book of her Sleeping Beauty trilogy. It was always de Sade's opinion that there were just certain women who needed that in their lives and he was quoted as saying "sex without pain is like food without taste". In many ways, over the years in the people i have interviewed and work I have done, I have come to know this is very true. Yes - there are some women who do crave this and require it just as there are similar men. There are also men like de Sade who crave the other side too and need it.

But de Sade truly believed that his work was not just a laundry list of sadistic activity. He truly believed that he was showing the reverse of poetic justice - that those with money and power prospered while the virtuous suffered at their hands. However it is interesting to note that he also advocates a life of virtue as a way to achieve heaven. A very strange and confusing man indeed.

Harriet Jacobs separates male and female slaves more. She shows that the treatment of male slaves was more physical -- her punishments from Dr Flint were with words - more psychological and yet much more damaging. She is also much in disagreement with de Sade that there are people who want and need this -- that it doesnt seem possible to her that people would choose slavery as a way to lead their lives. De Sade would have said they do and that they remain loyal and devoted to their masters. De Sade believed that there are just women who are naturally submissive, and in that he is absolutely correct.. Jacobs would disagree. It wasnt her desire to submit to anyone.

The difference between the two works is obviously night and day. One is talking about the sexual state of slavery - volunatarily = and the other is talking about the people of the South being born into slavery and having no choice in it.

God that seems like such a trite answer, but the question could take pages and pages to answer. I would really look into the idea that Justine's slavery was by choice - even though she fought it tooth and nail. I think therein is your arguement.

Hope that helps. Pax - C