At a time where being unthankful can be an appropriate response, Jacobs does not fail to mention how grateful she was for her lot in life and the kindness of her helpers.

In chapter XXI, Harriet Jacobs uses repetition by saying “I was never…” to show how she was never mistreated like the other slaves were but yet, she wished for freedom when she came into Dr. Flint’s possession, which implicitly shows that something may have happened between the two that would cause this.

Harriet Jacobs writes about how the hardships she faced as a slave were nothing as compared her life with Dr. Flint. She began appreciating the little things and how in comparison to sleeping in a tilted small room in almost complete darkness with little air, and having mice and rats run around the room, nothing was worse than living with Dr. Flint.