In this passage by Harriet Jacobs, set in the slave narrative Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl , the character Linda directs her thoughts to the reader in response to comments made by an ignorant slave owner. The man goes on to explain that he knows what slaves want and how difficult it is to be mistreated and considered lesser because of one's own physical characteristics. In a time of oppression and dehumanization achieved by whites through slavery, slave owners often spoke on behalf of their slaves to further assert their power. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Because this passage quickly follows a moment in which a slave owner does just that, Jacobs gives the impression that Linda is confident enough in what she has. to say that at that moment, she is the one in the position of power and not the white man. This makes the chosen passage incredibly powerful, because not only does Jacobs clearly explain why the slave owner does not understand the slaves' point of view, but he also provides many insights into what it actually means to be a slave. She is able to recount the horrors she has witnessed and astonishes the reader by recalling gruesome and gruesome tales of dehumanization. Through the initial line "what does he know" (Jacobs 64), the italicization of "he" takes away all credibility from the slave owner, making it clear to the reader that Linda knows more than he does about being slave. He has no reason to speak for the slaves when in reality he will never face half the terrible things many Africans witnessed. Jacobs also questions the reader using repetition, thus confirming his role as the dominant voice. The questions asked provide insight into the horror many slaves faced during the years of forced oppression and further give the reader the feeling that Jacobs is sure of what she is saying and, therefore, the dominant voice in this situation. Through this passage, Jacobs is able to describe the strong will that Linda possesses and displays throughout the story. It shows the point of view of a slave who suffered while alluding to the fact that although she suffered, she survived through different coping mechanisms..