The Jealous Mistress

Objective: E2-Students will understand how multiple levels of meaning are conveyed in Jacobs' Incidents: Agency, Abuse
Aim: How does absolute power corrupt absolutely?

Do Now: Start writing a sentence with I have witnessed absolute power...
I have witnessed absolute power in the movie "The last King of Scotland" when the brutal Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin murdered about 300,000 people.

Requirements: Students will take notes in their notebooks on class discussion, peer perspectives etc.
Cite page numbers or chapters to support their perspectives.

Comprehension Check:
Why is Mrs. Flint jealous and who is she jealous of?
Mrs. Flint is jealous because her husband is paying more attention to Linda then to her.
Why does Harriet choose death and hard work than to live with an "unprincipled master and jealous mistress"?
Harriet choses death and hard work than to live with an "unprincipled master and jealous mistress" because she can't be virtuous due to the fact that she has to protect herself at all times.
Why was Dr. Flint slipping notes to Harriet?
Dr. Flint was slipping notes to Harriet because he learned that she could write and wanted to make a pass at her in a concealing way so he wouldn't get caught.
How old is Harriet in this chapter?
In this chapter Harriet is 16 years old.
How does Mrs. Flint mask herself to fool Linda? What does she do?
To fool Linda, Mrs. Flint starts to cry so Linda would feel sympathetic for her. Mrs. Flint then tells Linda that she promises to protect her.
What number wife is Mrs. Flint?
Mrs. Flint is wife number two.
Is Mrs. Flint younger or older than her husband?
Mrs. Flint is younger than her husband.
How many children has he fathered?
Dr. Flint has fathered 11 children.

Interpretive:
Why do you think Dr. Flint wouldn't allow anyone to punish Harriet?
I think Dr. Flint wouldn't allow anyone to punish Harriet because he wanted to make her feel special. I think he was trying to play a mind game with her so she wouldn't think that Flint was so bad due to the fact that no one could punish her.
Is he in love or completely obsessed with her?
I think he is obsessed with her because he loves the chase.
Why do you think Harriet was chosen to sleep with Flint's daughter?
I think Harriet was chosen to sleep with Flint's daughter so that he could possibly get closer to Harriet without his wife knowing.
Why does Mrs. Flint make Harriet swear on the bible?
Mrs. Flint makes Harriet swear on the bible because she wants to know the truth about everything that happened between Dr. Flint and Harriet.

Literary Analysis: Why is it ironic that Mrs. Flint "pitied herself as a martyr"?
It is ironic that Mrs. Flint pitied herself as a martyr because she had no sympathy towards Harriet when she told her what went on between her and Dr. Flint. On page 33 it says " but she was incapable of feeling for the condition of shame and misery in which her unfortunate, helpless slave was placed." All Mrs. Flint thought about was herself.

Synthesize and Explain: "I could not blame her... slaveholder's wives feel as other women would under similar circumstances..." In this quote Harriet is saying that she isn't mad at Mrs. Flint, she understands why Mrs. Flint feels such hatred and jealousy towards her because women who have husbands that cheat on them would feel the same way about that other woman.

Critical Thinking:
Explain "have I ever treated you like a negro"
When Dr. Flint says this to Harriet he means he has always treated her special and like family.
What promises does Flint make to Linda and why?
Flint told Harriet " I will make peace for you with your mistress. I would cherish you. I would make a lady of you." I think Flint made these promises to her because he wanted to make her feel more at ease and not want to be sold to someone else.
Rhetoric: where is rhetoric evident?
" Reader, I draw no imaginary pictures of southern homes. I am telling you the plain truth."
" I would ten thousand times rather that my children should be the half-starved paupers of Ireland than to be the most pampered among the slaves of America."

Cooperative Learning:
"The jealous Mistress"- Identify how absolute power corrupts absolutely, however, how does Harriet Jacobs takes possession of herself and not submit to the will of Mrs. Flint.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely because it throws everything into disarray and turmoil. Harriet takes possession of herself and not submit to the will of Mrs. Flint by realizing that Mrs. Flint is in an unhappy marriage with her husband. Harriet explains this towards the end of the chapter, "The young wife soon learns that the husband in whose hands she has placed her happiness pays no regard to his marriage vows. Jealousy and hatred enter the flowery home, and it is ravaged of its loveliness."(pg36) As a result of her situation Mrs. Flint takes all her anger out on Harriet and the other slaves.
Identify the varying forms of abuse Harriet endured and cite your sources.
Psychological abuse-
"When there, I was obliged to stand and listen to such language as he saw fit to address to me."- pg 31, "
"Did I not take you into the house, and make you the companion of my own children?" he would say. "Have I ever treated you like a negro? I have never allowed you to be punished, not even to please your mistress. And this is the recompense I get, you ungrateful girl!"- pg 36
Physical abuse-
"By managing to keep within sight of people, as much as possible, during the day time, I had hitherto succeeded in eluding my master, though a razor was often held to my throat to force me to change this line of policy."- pg 32
What are the conflicts/ problems facing the white slave mistress?
Some conflicts/problems facing the white slave mistress include marital issues with her husband (man vs.man), jealousy of Harriet (man vs.man), and self worth and pride (man vs.self).
How is Hypocrisy evident in this chapter?
Hypocrisy is evident in this chapter because Dr. and Mrs. Flint have no sense of moral values that they stand for or are accountable for.