The slave narrative genre is an important part of American history. These stories are not only portraits of individual history, but also of American history. By reading the stories of the past, we can better determine the path of the future. The personal stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are two excellent examples of the slave narrative genre in American literature. Certainly, servitude and oppression had a lasting and profound effect on both sexes; however, men and women experienced slavery in different ways. By comparing and contrasting “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” and “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” we gain very different insights into the truth about slavery from a gender perspective. . The similarities between “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” and “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” are that they both talk about slavery. In both stories, the perspective authors draw attention to the questionable character and cruel actions of their perspective masters. That being said, the contrasts in their literary works far outweigh the similarities. Society was very strict in its views on what was appropriate for men as opposed to what was socially acceptable for women of the time. These social restrictions and expectations created a sort of social doctrine that governed both sexes. Generally speaking, men suffered fewer social restrictions than women and, furthermore, men were free to express what they thought in depth while women communicated their needs in vague and passive terms. As a result, some writings can be identified as genre-specific writings. When we examine the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American...... middle of paper ......ts in the life of a Slave Girl", we learn that gender plays a role in the style, level of detail and writing strategy of the individual story. It would be wrong to say that the life of servitude was easier for a man than for a woman; however, the fact that women faced increased oppression during slavery cannot be ignored. Ultimately, it is only by examining the stories of men and women equally and side by side that we see the truth in its entirety. Work cited Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.” The Health Anthology of American Literature. Ed Paul Lauter et al. Ed. concise. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage. 2004. 867-929. Print.Jacobs, Harriet Ann. “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” The Health Anthology of American Literature. Ed Paul Lauter et al. Ed. concise. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage. 2004. 841-860. Print.