Looking through the critical lens of Mary Louise Pratt, we can see several touchpoints in Harriet Jacobs' book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. One obvious one is the difference between white and black life during slavery, and several areas lie beneath the skin involving relationships and connections. Most prominent are the bonds that Harriet Jacobs formed during her indirect servitude. We can see many contact areas in his book, for example, the general battle against oppression and freedom, his association with Mr. Sands, Mr. Flint and the readers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The theme of contact zones lies in the aimless battle between freedom and submission. Harriet Jacobs is engaged in a constant battle in the physical and mental fields. Pratt describes zones as “social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and engage with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetric power relations, such as slavery.” Pratt highlights the key issue with Jacobs, slavery. In this account of slavery, we see the social spaces, connections, and battles that Pratt speaks so articulately about. First of all, their social space is never sufficiently substantial. They are constantly monitored and mistreated, wherever life takes them, they will always be in chains. On the other hand, they control who they see and know. In other words, they will control their relationships. They are in complete dominion over another person who is constantly mistreated and used based on the selfishness of human nature - opposition to it on his love of justice. These principles are in eternal antagonism, and when brought into collision as fiercely as the extension of slavery brings them, shocks, spasms, and convulsions must incessantly follow. portrays fighting fluidly, constantly fighting, never very calm. The relationship between Mr. Sands and Jacobs is a great example that falls into the contact zone. As we explore this connection between Jacobs and Mr. Sands, it is fascinating to examine how this contact zone was created, why it was maintained for so long, and how this contact zone collided with and within other contact zones. this contact zone concerned Mr. Sands' business. He continually looked for chances to see Jacobs and wrote letters to Jacobs as often as possible. Her sensitivity and desire to help her energized Jacobs and he complimented her because she considered him a superior person and it would mean a lot to get her attention. Interestingly, the contact zone between Jacobs and Mr. Sands occurred outside the confines of slavery; but that doesn't take away the fact that her being a slave had a lot to do with their relationship. Furthermore, this was a company that was not bound to Jacobs by submission, rather by a mutually consensual relationship. Despite the fact that this relationship was not as profoundly unbalanced as the one between Jacobs and Dr. Flint, Jacobs acknowledges distance and social class. between them, and we can see the conflict within it as we examine the reasons why this relationship has continued. By analyzing Jacobs' explanations behind this relationship, we discover three intriguing reasons. Initially, she expressed "there is something like freedom in having a lover who has no control over you except what he gets through kindness and attachment." So we see that Mr. Sand's sweet words and sensitivity had persuaded Jacobs that he was an “It isgreat to have such a friend” in Mr. Sands. Jacobs quickly recognized what new potential outcomes this relationship offered with respect to exact punishment on Dr. Flintknowing that I favored another; and it was something to triumph over my tyrant even in that little way. “In this sense, we see that Jacobs took everything she could out of this relationship for herself and used it for her influence, which is justifiable in her situation. This is equally clear in the third reason she specified for proceeding with this relationship. She clarified this reason in this explanation: “I thought he [Dr. Flint] would take revenge by selling me, and I was sure that my friend, Mr. Sands, would buy me. I thought my freedom could easily be obtained from him." Now that we have examined Jacobs' perspective of this relationship across contact zones, let's move on to the reasons why Mr. Sands facilitates this relationship. In examining Mr. Sands' reasons, the content does not speak as clearly to this issue as it does to Jacobs' point of view. However, a perception of Mr. Sands' reasons can be made in light of Jacobs' responses and reactions. I think it's fascinating that an unmarried white man would have such great enthusiasm for a young African American slave. He expressed, “it happened that an unmarried white gentleman had obtained some knowledge of the circumstances in which I found myself. He knew my grandmother. “At first, his reasons appear to be exclusively trustworthy and serious as he sought to help Jacobs in his predicament. In any case, Jacobs made no indication that Mr. Sands cared about Dr. Flint's other slaves. Mr. Wouldn't Sands have recognized Jacobs' words: "He was a cultured and eloquent gentleman, too eloquent, alas, for the poor slave who confided in him?" One can imagine how Mr. Sands could have exploited this fact further, strengthening his own luck and talking to Jacobs, who was 15 at the time, regarding her as an equivalent individual and playing with her feelings Furthermore, Jacobs stated that "the wrong attitude doesn't look so good with an unmarried man," and we find out later that Jacobs would soon become a mother. As a result, we can conclude that Mr. Sands' motives were definitely not true. There was clearly something more in his goals, presumably from the very first moment their relationship began. Could I venture to ask for information? Could it be because the informed and expressive man of his word, Mr. Sands, believed that this poor slave was mere prey? Since we have addressed Mr. Sands' reasons, how about we proceed further, explaining how this contact zone came into conflict with other contact zones and with Jacobs' ideals. The biggest impact this relationship seems to have was on Jacobs. After telling Dr. Flint that she was going to be a mother, she immediately said, “My self-respect was gone! and now, how humiliated I felt!" We can see here that this relationship or contact zone was in conflict with who Jacobs was supposed to be. She expressed, "I had decided that I would be virtuous, even though I was a slave. I had said, 'Let the storm hit! I will be brave.'" Another contact zone with which this relationship conflicted is that between Jacobs and Dr. Flint. We see from Dr. Flint's announcement to Jacobs: “'you are my slave and you will always be my slave . I'll never sell you out, that you can count on,” that this association with Mr. Sands exploded backwards on Jacobs and pushed Dr. Flint into something he hadn't anticipated. One of the advantages Jacobs needed.