Jacobs’ time with the Norcom family was certainly full of turmoil. Dr. Norcom started by whispering negative, albeit sexual things into her ear. From there, he began trying to physically force her into having sexual relations. Although it was improper behavior, Dr. Norcom certainly did not try to control his actions publicly, but rather became more and more bold as time went on. Eventually he had to build a cottage for Jacobs about four miles from town, because his wife began to notice his behavior. At a certain point during her time with the Norcom family, Harriet decided that she wanted to marry, but because she had refused Dr. Norcom’s sexual advances towards her, he would not give her the permission that she needed in order to be legally married to a free black man. However, Jacobs had become good friends with Samuel Sawyer, an unmarried white lawyer, with whom Jacobs had two children on the pretense that this would upset Norcom and he would sell her and her two children. If Norcom would be upset enough to get rid of Jacobs and her children, it seems she thought her quality of life would greatly improve. In order to further his reign of terror on her life, Norcom also made threats of selling her children away from her.
Eventually, Harriet would escape staying with varying different people, until she moved into a small crawlspace above a porch built by her grandmother and uncle. The space was nine feet long, seven feet wide and had a sloping ceiling, which at it’s lowest point was only three feet high, therefore so small that Jacobs could not turn around while laying down. Jacobs dealt with rats and mice crawling over her, no light and no fresh air, all for to look through the small hole she drilled to watch her children play .
xroads.virginia.edu/.../
No comments:
Post a Comment