How does this show society in the 18th and 19 centuries

The narrative certainly shows the darkness of slavery during this era.

Ms. Jacobs' narrative focuses less on the slaves' poor quality of life than on the dehumanizing nature of slavery itself.

The author does tell the reader about slaves who are starved, overworked, and forced to face the elements with inadequate clothing and shelter, but she leads one to believe that poor living conditions, however unfortunate, are not the most significant part of the problem, and that simply improving the slaves' physical living conditions will not make the institution of slavery less oppressive or less evil.