Selfless, or Selfish?

During the course of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs and those around her are found to say things, and share opinions and desires that appear to be questionable in judgement. Jacobs sees her child crying herself to sleep on the plantation, trying to survive with out the loving care that a mother gives a child. She sees the heart-wrenching sight and gazes down on her child thinking, "how well it would be for her to never wake up," and never have to endure the trials of slavery as a young woman(89). To someone ignorant to the hardships presented to slaves both on a plantation or in the household, wishing a child to be dead sounds like the most cruel and self-centered thing a mother could say. However, when the reader places themselves in Jacobs' shoes, it is easy to sympathize with Jacobs in her wishes for her children. One would rather see there child dead than suffering the same perils as themselves. This is even reflected in modern society. A parent that regrets something in their own life, will do anything to have their children avoid making the same choice as themselves, and thus avoiding the consequences. When Jacobs first starts to plot on how to escape from slavery without her children, a person ignorant to her circumstances would find her being incredibly selfish, trying to escape to freedom while leaving, " her little, helpless children," in the chains of slavery(93). However when one examines her unique situation, it is easy to side with Jacobs on that as soon as her children are not seen as bargaining chips for Linda Brent herself, they will more likely be released legally, since Jacobs is the one that the Dr. Flint so desperately desires.  As a reader examines the text at a closer look, it's easier to see a little accepted and surprising truth ; in a time of such atrocities, a selfish thought can actually be the selfless path of action