Near the end of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," Harriet Jacobs writes:
"The bill of sale!" Those words struck me like a blow. So I was sold at last! A human being sold in the free city of New York! The bill of sale is on record, and future generations will learn from it that women were articles of traffic in New York, late in the nineteenth century of the Christian religion. It may hereafter prove a useful document to antiquaries, who are seeking to measure the progress of civilization in the United States. I well know the value of that bit of paper; but much as I love freedom, I do not like to look upon it."
Having read this, what do her carefully chosen words in this passage tell you about her view of America and of herself?