Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Lesson on Style

Individual Activity

Read the preface by the author page xvii-xviii.

Read pages 1 – 30.

As you read, answer these questions.

  1. Find at least two examples of ethos, pathos, and logos.

(Each person will be assigned one term to follow)

  1. Make a list of archaic words—words you assume we no longer use today. What do you think they mean?
  1. Take notes on any violations of current punctuation or grammar rules.

Partner activity

  1. On page one, how many words does each sentence have?
  2. What can you say about the author’s syntax? What type of sentences does she use? Is there any repetition? What decisions does she make about sentence structure?
  3. On page 30, the last paragraph before VI. The Jealous Mistress, consider Jacobs’s decisions as a writer. What does she know about her audience? What is the purpose of this paragraph?
  4. Which word below best describes her tone? Identify two to three examples from the text that support your opinion.

cautious apologetic haughty empathetic

detached vindictive conciliatory pious