Chapter 41: Free At Last

Chapter 41

Free At Last

Summary: Linda receives several letters from her grandmother, and is informed that Dr. Flint is dead. Somewhat relieved at the news, Linda realizes that she is still in danger from Dr. Flint's family. Shortly after, Linda happens to cross a newspaper article announcing the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Dodge. Fearing that her former mistress will find her, Linda goes to Mrs. Bruce, who again helps her escape, sending her baby with her. After hiding for an extended period, Mrs. Bruce finally manages to buy Linda free for $300. Aunt Martha lives long enough to know that Linda has been freed, and dies. Uncle Phillip, then, follows soon after. Free at last, Linda continues to live with Mrs. Bruce and her family and recalls that, despite all the pain she has endured, she has the comforting memories of her grandmother, who helped her survive her harrowing ordeal.

Importance: As the last chapter of the book, Linda finally retrieves her freedom. She got away from Dr. Flint and his family and can now live peacefully.

Connection to Theme: After all the physical and mainly phycological pains she had suffered, Linda has finally gained freedom. Going through all the pain, fear and betrayal, she managed to get away from Dr. Flint and his family.

Chapter 40: The Fugitive Slave Law

Chapter 40

The Fugitive Slave Law

Summary: William decides to move to California, taking Benny with him. Before they leave, they discuss the brutal Fugitive Slave Law, that makes it illegal for northerners to help runaway slaves. Mr. Bruce re-marries an American woman and hires Linda again. Linda confesses to Mrs. Bruce that she's a fugitive slave, making the law danger her freedom. Luckily, the second Mrs. Bruce is just as nice as the first, even though she's an American. Linda also learns that Dr. Flint is once more on her trail. Mrs. Bruce helps her escape to New England and entrusts her with her own baby. Linda seeks refuge in the country, where she remains for a month. When she learns that Dr. Flint has given up his pursuit, she returns to New York.

Importance: In this chapter, we learn about the Fugitive Slave law and how much fear it brings to Linda and other runaways. Linda fears that she will get caught because northerners cannot help her. However, the second Mrs. Bruce is just as kind and helps Linda regain herself and protects her.

Connection To Theme: Because of the Fugitive Slave Law; Linda is very cautious every time she has to run an errand, and fears for her life when she walks outside. Mrs. Bruce helps by sending Linda to live with a senator's wife in New England. This meant that if Linda is caught, they'll have to bring the two back to Mrs. Bruce, who might be able to save her. Linda finally stays for a month until she feels safe enough to return to New York.

Chapter 39: The Confession

Chapter 39

The Confession

Summary: Linda has lived in Boston for two years, and her brother, William, offers to send Ellen to boarding school. Although she does not want to part with her daughter, Linda eventually agrees that this would be best for her daughter. The night before Ellen is scheduled to leave, Linda tells her the truth about her father, Mr. Sands. However, she has known the whole time.

Linda is lonely without her daughter, and gratefully accepts an assignment as a seamstress for a neighboring family. She finds a letter from William, asking her to help him establish an anti-slavery reading room in Rochester. She agrees, but the project doesn't receive broad community support and fails. Linda spends the next year with the family of Isaac and Amy Post, well-known anti-slavery advocates.

Importance: In this chapter, Linda loses a very close part of her, Ellen. We find out before she leaves to boarding school, that Ellen has known the whole time that Mr. Sands is her father. After being left alone, Linda starts to work with more slavery abolishment communities and people.

Connection To Theme: Now that Ellen is going to boarding school, Linda cannot face the fact that Ellen does not know who her real father is. After going through everything she has been through, she finally builds up the courage to tell her. However, to her surprise, Ellen has known the truth all along.

Chapter 38: Renewed Invitations to Go South

Chapter 38

Renewed Invitations to Go South

Summary: Upon returning home to Boston, Linda learns that Ben has left on a voyage to escape the abuse of his fellow apprentices, who have discovered that he is "colored." After finding out the news, Linda feels guilty that she left her children alone for so long, but reminds herself that it was for the best.Soon after her return from England, Linda receives a letter from Mrs. Dodge (formerly Emily Flint). In the letter, Emily comments on Linda's trip to England and invites her to come live with her and her new husband in Norfolk, Virginia. Even though Linda is furious to discover that Dr. Flint and his family are still keeping track of her, she tells herself that as long as she stays in Boston, she is safe.

Importance: We now know in this chapter that the Flint family are still keeping track of Linda and her family. Emily is getting interested in her and tries to trick her into coming back. Linda knows this is a scam and stays in Boston.

Connection To Theme: Just like Dr. Flint, his daughter, Mrs. Dodge, is trying to trick Linda into coming back to the South. Mrs. Dodge formally asks her to come back to the South so she would “live” with her and not be treated as a slave or she can buy herself. Linda, right away, sees this as a trick and finds the letter to be ridiculous. She does not want to spend her hard-earned money on her freedom, but to use it for her children's education and future.

Chapter 37: A Visit to England

Chapter 37

A Visit to England

Summary: This chapter begins by informing the reader that the first Mrs. Bruce dies. Linda is devastated that she had lost a dear friend of hers and gave sympathy to her family. Mr. Bruce asks her to accompany him to England as a nurse for Mary, so Mary can be with her relatives. After 12 days, they arrive in Liverpool and head to London, where, for the first time in her life, Linda is treated with respect and dignity and experiences "pure, unadulterated freedom."During her visit, Linda notices that the English are poor and oppressed, but they're still better off than American slaves. As the house guest of a clergyman and his family, she also gains a new perspective on Christianity and experiences the true meaning of love and grace.

Importance: The importance of this chapter was to show the differences and similarities of the English poor and the African-American slaves. The English poor do not have much in England, but they they definitely have more rights than slaves in America. Slaves are not allowed to have an education and do not have legal protection.

Connection To Theme: During her visit, Linda views the hardships the English poor must go through. However, she compares them to slavery in America. It was led to the conclusion that slavery was MUCH more worse. Slaves must go through many physical and phycological abuses, everyday by their owners.

Chapter 36: The Hairbreadth Escape

Chapter 36:

The Hairbreadth Escape

Summary: In this chapter Linda learns that her whereabouts were revealed to Dr. Flint by Mrs. Hobbs' brother, Mr. Thorpe. She learned that he wrote a letter to Dr. Flint telling him about her location and saying that he would help him to retrieve his "property". Upon hearing this Linda returned home and informed Mrs. Bruce that she was a fugitive slave and of her predicament. Mrs. Bruce, contrary to what Linda initially thought, took no action against her, but actually made arrangements for her, William and Ellen to be transported to Boston. Once there, Ellen was reunited with Ben, her brother and Linda decided to stay there and share living expenses with a good friend of hers. During the winter time she helps to teach Ellen how to read and write so she could return back to school.

Importance: Although Dr. Flint could not find her on his own, the day when he would learn of her whereabouts finally came in this chapter. Linda's connections and associations however helped greatly in securing her escape once again.

Connection to Theme: Even though Linda's distrust of Mrs. Bruce turned out to be for nothing, there was someone else who she should have aimed her distrust towards; Mr. Thorpe. He saw her as not more than Dr. Flint's property. This mindset comes from the constant exposure to discrimination and the place the white people of that time held as being over the blacks.

Chapter 35: Prejudice Against Color

Chapter 35:

Prejudice Against Color

Summary: It was in this chapter that Linda encountered even more instances of racial discrimination. She went on a trip with Mr. and Mrs. Bruce to Albany aboard a steamboat when she was insulted by a black waiter who refused to serve her. During this trip she also met up with Ellen on her way to a grocery store. Another example of discrimination was shown when Linda wrote about her experience at a hotel in Rockaway. In this she was not allowed to sit at the table with all of the other black nurses who were just a shade lighter than she was. She decided to eat her food in her room, but later chooses to not accept their rudeness and earns their respect.

Importance: Linda already knew from previous experiences that the North wasn't the paradise everyone spoke of it to be like and now refused to tolerate such treatment. Her persistent and radical nature showed in thins chapter as she fought to gain respect from those who treated her wrongly.

Connection to Theme: While others who lived in the North were taught to conform to such discrimination, Linda fought against it and wasn't afraid to speak out to express her thoughts on how wrong it was to treat her how they did. This form of psychological abuse on the free blacks helped to keep them from rising to overpower the white people. It kept them in a state of acceptance to the way the world was.

Chapter 34: The Old Enemy Again

Chapter 34:

The Old Enemy Again

Summary: Dr. Flint again tried to persuade Linda to return to the south, but this time disguised his writings to her as if they came from his son. He wrote to her urging her to return "home" and that she would be treated like she always has been treated: "like family". Knowing then that it was a trick, she ignored it and didn't respond, but learned that he was returning to New York in search of her. She informed Mrs. Bruce that she needed to attend to urgent business in Boston and left right away in an effort to avoid him. While there she had her grandmother send Ben to Boston rather than their prearranged New York. She is reunited with him there and after Dr. Flint leaves New York she returns, leaving Ben with William.

Importance: This chapter showcased Dr. Flint's extremely persistent nature. He still never gave up trying to get her back and even tried disguising his writing as his young son's to try to persuade her to return to them. Once he found that that method had failed he decided not to give up again. Although other attempts in the past had failed, he once again returned to New York in search of her, returning home like all of the other hands empty handed.

Connection to Theme: Dr. Flint thought that if he could convince her that the way she was treated was the best form of treatment a slave could receive, she would instantly feel the need to return to them. In his mind deception was the best weapon against slaves as well as psychological abuse. If he could get her to believe that her life wasn't as bad as how it really was he could have control over her, which was his ultimate goal.

Chapter 32: The Meeting of Mother and Daughter

Chapter 32:

The Meeting of Mother and Daughter

Summary: Linda finally reunites with her daughter but, despite what she was promised, she finds out that Ellen has been neglected. Although Mr. Sands promised Linda that her daughter would be well taken care of and even have the opportunity to attend school, none were ever gone through with. Ellen was actually given to Mr. Sands' daughter as her maid instead, which gave her no time to ever go to school. Linda then felt the need to procure her own daughter's safety and freedom, but before she was able to do that, she had to be free herself. So she wrote to Dr. Flint to inquire about her sale.

Importance: Serving as yet another milestone in Linda's life, she finally was able to see her daughter with her own eyes on free soil. While it seemed like a miracle that she was even just able to free her daughter in the south, being able to get her all the way to the north and meet up with her was exponentially greater.

Connection to Theme: This shows how people in the North were affected by the psychological abuses of slavery as well. Even though they would say that slavery in the south was wrong, they did not hesitate to keep them as maids and give them poultry amounts of money as wages. White people still dominated over the blacks.

Chapter 31: Incidents in Philadelphia

Chapter 31:

Incidents in Philadelphia

Summary: This chapter followed Linda as she entered into the free states. She met Rev. Jeremiah Durham and his wife and was to stay with them for five days. During this time she was treated well and did not have to live in discomfort and fear of Dr. Flint coming to find her. After those five days Linda and Fanny left to continue on their way to New York. It was on this journey that Linda encountered her first run-in with discrimination wherein she, as well as any other African American, was not allowed to sit in the first class section of the train.

Importance: It was in this chapter that Linda learns of the cruelties which occurred in the North. In the South African Americans would speak of the North as if it were heaven. They spoke of no wrongs or negative aspects whatsoever, so it often came as a surprise to them that the North was closer in similarity to the north than they had thought. This chapter displayed Linda's realization of this.

Connection to Theme: This shows how similar psychologically the North was to the South. Even though there were no slaves in the North, they still held the same rules as those in the South, only tweaking them slightly as to satisfy the public. For example, after learning about the rule of colored and white sections on the trains, Linda compared this with that of the South by saying that "colored people were allowed to ride in a filthy box, behind white people, at the South, but there they were not required to pay for the privilege". This meant that in the South the rules were the same, but unlike in the North, they didn't ask for money from the African Americans. She concluded this analogy by saying that she was saddened to learn how the North "aped the customs of slavery".

Chapter 30: Northward Bound

Chapter 30:

Northward Bound

Summary: This chapter was about Linda's voyage to freedom. Uncle Philip and Peter's plan was to get both she and Fanny onto a boat which would then take them to the north. Although this was a good plan, Linda still felt weary of trusting the captain of the ship. During the boat ride they began to miss their friends and family who were left in bondage but were joyous once they saw for the first time free land.

Importance: Linda finally was able to taste the freedom she prayed so hard for her children to receive in this chapter, which was another milestone for her in her life as a slave. This chapter showed that all of her efforts to free her children were not in vain and was rewarded for all of her endurance.

Connection to Theme: Even though Uncle Philip and Peter were people she could trust, years of the hardening of slavery's psychological abuse made Linda fear betrayal by the hands of the captain of the ship she rode to freedom. Not even someone chosen by her closest of relatives was someone she felt comfortable to trust.

Chapter 29: Preparations for Escape

Chapter 29:

Preparations for Escape

Summary: Linda in this chapter wrote about her escape north. It was with help from Uncle Peter and his friend Peter that this was made possible. Before their plan was put into action however, Linda felt it necessary to introduce herself and say (what she was hoping not to be) final farewells to her son Benjamin who already knew about her whereabouts.

Importance: This was another climactic even which Linda experience, which renders such as an important milestone for her. She was to finally embark to receive her own freedom not just for herself, but to ease the burdens set on her grandmother who was becoming to old to bear them any longer.

Connection to Theme: This was one of the very few positive results of the psychological abuses which came with slavery. Either slaves were driven to death by the punishments from their masters or the unrealistic amounts of labor they endured or they were driven to want to escape to freedom. Although success was not guaranteed, the desperation slaves were pushed to drove them to try anything that fueled their hope.

Chapter 28: Aunt Nancy

Chapter 28:

Aunt Nancy

Summary: In this chapter Linda described the life and death of her Great-Aunt Nancy. She wrote about how overworked she was and how much of a tool she was treated as by her masters. She had many children but, due to the fact that she was given little to no rest during both the day and the night, none of her children survived. When she died, Linda's grandmother became very devastated and distraught. She begins to come to the place wherein Linda was hidden to find consolation and speak to her.

Importance: This chapter showed just how much of a load Aunt Martha had to bear. She had to watch over Linda's children, keep Linda hidden away in her home, keep Dr. Flint at bay and on top of everything else, she had to bear the loss of her last daughter. While all of the other chapters were devoted to Linda and what she had to go through, this one focused mainly on Aunt Martha and her burdens.

Connection to Theme: Aunt Nancy was yet another victim of abuse on the psychological level. She was treated like an object, something whose only job was to wait hand and foot on the master should they ever need her, even if it were to happen to be in the dead of night. She was to sleep at the door of her master and jump to every call and order. Despite her years of faithful service, no rest was given to her which, after years of deprivation, proved to have a psychological affect on her overall performance.

Chapter 27: New Destination for the Children

Chapter 27:

New Destination for the Children

Summary: In this chapter plans were being made to send Linda's children to different places; Ellen was to live with Mr. Sands' sister in Brooklyn, while Benjamin is to live with him and his new wife. Although the thought of not being able to see her own children bothered her, Linda knew that it was all in their best interests and lets them go. Before Ellen left however, Linda came out of hiding and went to spend the night with her to say her final goodbyes.

Importance:

Chapter 26: Important Era In My Brother’s Life

Chapter 26

Important Era In My Brother’s Life

Summary: William went with his master, Mr. Sands to Washington and regularly sent letters to his sister Linda talking about his journey and such. However the letters abruptly stopped coming and Linda started to wonder what happened to him. Mr. Sands told Linda that he ran away with abolitionists when he returned after getting married, but it was revealed that William actually escaped on his own.

Importance: William finally became truly free in this chapter. Being Mr. Sands' slave might have been better than being one for someone else, but it still wasn't the same as being completely free. William knew this and needed no convincing from abolitionists; escaping under his own free will.

Connection to Theme: Although he was not treated badly as Mr. Sands' slave, just the fact that he was still a slave served as a source of psychological abuse for him. It still made him feel lower than the white man and degraded him as well as emasculate him. He felt that it was only through his freedom that he would be released from it.

Chapter 25: Competition in Cunning

Chapter 25:

Competition in Cunning

Summary: In this chapter Linda matched her cunning nature against that of Dr. Flint. She wrote a letter to him addressed from a place in New York to trick him into thinking she was really there. She also wrote one addressed to Aunt Martha to throw him off her track even further. In response Dr. Flint then sent a letter to the mayor of Boston to find out if he had seen anyone who met Linda’s description.

Importance: This is yet another important chapter because it is in this that Linda exercises her cunning nature on Dr. Flint. She successfully proves his incompetence to catch her by tricking him into believing she is actually gone. This serves as a boost in confidence for her, knowing that she is better than him and can overcome his grip on her.

Connection to Theme: Psychological abuse was a technique used by Dr. Flint in this chapter on Linda's grandmother. To intimidate her, Dr. Flint would tell her that he was close to finding Linda and that he would bring her back. Due to the fact that this would only work with those with weak constitutions and those who were ignorant to the truth, this did not affect Linda's grandmother.

Chapter 24: The Candidate for Congress

Chapter 24:

The Candidate for Congress

Summary: Mr. Sands in this chapter ran for congress and, despite Dr. Flint's desperate efforts to beat him, won. In an effort to ensure her children's emancipation from slavery, Linda risked being caught to beg Mr. Sands to do so before he left for Washington.

Importance: This, like all of the chapters before it, was an important chapter because it was when Linda asked Mr. Sands to liberate her children from slavery. Mr. Sands had promised her in the past, but because he had not gone through with his word as of yet, Linda felt compelled to make him promise once again.

Connection to Theme: Due to all that Linda had gone through, she found it extremely hard to trust even the closest of her companions which, in this case, included Mr. Sands, the father of her children. Linda wasn't a hateful person, but years of persecution and psychological abuse made her heart and mind selective as to where she put her trust. The main filter of this unfortunately was the color of their skin.

Chapter 23: Still in Prison

Chapter 23:

Still in Prison

Summary: Linda was still in her "prison" as she calls it and she described the trials she went through during the winter time. She described how she almost died from an illness, but after her brother got medicine from a doctor she was able to survive. She also described how her grandmother collapsed from the many months of anxiety and toil. During this time Linda's son Benny was also injured after being bitten by a dog. At the end of the chapter Linda's grandmother's illness passed and Benny healed from his wounds.

Importance: As if on cue, more trials came Linda's way. In this chapter Linda was put through three more trials which tested her endurance. Even as there seemed as though there was no letting up coming in the way of the amount of trials she had to go through, Linda proved herself strong yet again.

Connection to Theme: The affects of the psychological abuse on white people is evident in this chapter as well. This is displayed near the end when Sally told Mrs. Flint the reason why Benny couldn't walk. To this Mrs. Flint responded by saying that she was glad that it happened. She added that she wished that the dog had killed him as well and that Linda's day of returning by the mouths of dogs would come too. This showed how cruel and heartless slavery has made even the white people who lived through it.

Chapter 22: Christmas Festivities

Chapter 22:

Christmas Festivities

Summary: Linda described her time in hiding during Christmas in this chapter. She also described all of the festivities and rituals that went on during this time. As to ease any suspicion that Linda was actually hiding out there, her grandmother invited two special guests (the town Constable and a colored free man) into her house to have dinner.

Importance: This chapter was important because Linda described Christmas as being a joyful time for both blacks and whites. Despite the situation, everyone found this time to shed a positive light on their lives. 

Connection to Theme: I found the free black man who passed himself off as being white yet another display of the psychological abuses of slavery. Rather than being proud of his black ethnicity, he shunned it and found refuge in pretending to be something other than what he was. When faced with the reality that being who he truely was meant enduring years of persecution and pain, he decided to take the easier route and take sides with, what was through the eyes of the African Americans, the enemy.

Chapter 21: The Loophole of Retreat

Chapter 21:

The Loophole of Retreat

Summary: In this chapter Linda was taken to hide in a small shed provided for her at her grandmother's house. The shed was infested with rodents and insects but it was here that she stayed day and night for several long months. During this time she could see and hear her children as they played outside and inside the house, but was unable to communicate to them. She suffered many illnesses and even had to watch as Dr. Flint tried to bribe her whereabouts from her children who, at the time, knew nothing.

Importance: Linda's patience and endurance were tested to their limits in this chapter, which is why it is so important. As her children came within such close ranges of her, she had to fight every fiber of her being to avoid talking to them, something that, for a mother, was extremely hard for her to do. She wanted nothing more than to keep in contact with them, but at this point in time doing so would jeopardize her own safety as well as her children's and the lives of all those who aided her.

Connection to Theme: Linda knew all too well what was in store for her and all those associated with her escape if she revealed her hiding place to her children. She had seen it countless times before what had waited for those who escaped but were caught before reaching their freedom. She learned this through years of psychological abuse and did not want to become a victim of it.

Chapter 20: New Perils

Chapter 20:

New Perils

Summary: Under the charge of aiding Linda in her escape, Dr. Flint had her Uncle Philips arrested. After this, Jenny, one of the slaves who works in the same house Linda is hiding in, threatens to reveal her hiding spot. Linda is then set to meet up with a friend of Philips while disguised as a sailor. Peter takes her to hide in a swamp while they secure a hiding place for her. The next day she is taken to her grandmother’s house after blacking out.

Importance: This was very important because even though Linda achieved her goal of freeing her children, she still wasn’t out of danger herself. She still had to find a way to get herself out of the situation she was in, something she did not plan up to.

Connection to Theme: Not only did slaves have to fear the eyes of white people when escaping, but they also had to fear those of some blacks as well. In this chapter Linda was being threatened not by a white person but by a fellow black woman. This may be from years of psychological abuse wherein one may become conditioned to feel a certain way, even against their own kind.

Chapter 19: The Children Sold

Chapter 19:

The Children Sold

Summary: Dr. Flint came back from New York with no signs of finding or gaining any knowledge of Linda’s whereabouts. Mr. Sands tried to acquire William by buying him, but Dr. Flint’s stubborn disposition shoots it down. Later however Dr. Flint was tricked into selling William, Linda’s children and her aunt all to a slave trader representing Mr. Sands. Their removal from town was faked and they were released to Aunt Martha.

Importance: This was important in that it was Linda’s chance to achieve the main goal of her escape. She wanted nothing more than to have her children freed from slavery that she risked her own life to do so.

Connection to Theme: Linda did not want her children to face the trials she had to endure. The years of abuse both physically and psychologically drove her to making such a risky approach to reaching this goal.

Chapter 18: Months of Peril

Chapter 18:

Months of Peril

Summary: In this chapter Linda was still staying at her friends house until people who were searching for her came in close proximity to her. After that she decided to hide with a friend of her grandmother. She thereby is sent to stay in an old storage room. During this time however Linda’s brother, children and aunt were thrown in jail. Linda begins to worry until William sends her a letter to stay calm and not to turn herself in. At the conclusion of the chapter, Dr. Flint leaves for New York under the suspicion that Linda is hiding there.

Importance: This was important because this was Linda’s first trial while in hiding.

Connection to Theme: Although William, Linda’s children and her aunt were all innocent in the fact that they knew little about her escape, Dr. Flint saw it as an opportunity to use different tactics; a psychological approach, to drawing her out. He thought that using her love for her family would get her to throw herself at his feet (an example of psychological abuse).

 

Chapter 17: The Flight

Chapter 17:

The Flight

Summary: This chapter was about Linda’s escape from slavery. She left her master’s house late at night, visited her children and then went to the house of a friend who planned to hide her. At the end of the chapter an ad was posted declaring a $300 reward for her capture.

Importance: This was an extremely important episode because it was the climax of Linda’s life. It was also the turning point in her status as a slave.

Connection to Theme: This connects to the theme because it shows the great lengths slaves go to in an effort to escape from slavery. They are abused in more ways than one that they feel no other option than to leave by whatever means.

Chapter 16: Scenes at the Plantation

Chapter 16

Scenes at the Plantation

Summary: This chapter talks about Linda’s departure with her daughter. Ben was ill so he stays behind with Linda’s grandmother. While at the plantation, Linda works hard and impresses Mr. Flint. Throughout her time there, she secretly sneaks back to Dr. Flint’s plantation with a young man. She mentions her plans of escape.

Importance: Linda learns that Dr. Flint was planning to send her children back to the plantation, forcing her to plan her escape and to execute it soon.

Connection to Theme: while Linda is working, she can hear her child crying for her. This causes Linda great pain as a mother while listening to her child’s tears and that she can’t do a thing about it.

Chapter 15: Continued Persecutions

Chapter 15

Continued Persecutions

Summary: This chapter talks about Dr. Flint’s visit, offering Linda one more chance to accept his offer of putting her in a house with her children. She was ready to decline but Dr. Flint  gives her a week to make the right answer. Linda knew that she couldn’t trust Dr. Flint’s promises so she refuses and he tells her that she is going to his brother’s plantation.

Importance: Linda chooses to go to Dr. Flints’ brother’s plantation because she has a hard time trusting white men with promises.

Connection to Theme: Linda’s grandmother is torn after she hears of Dr. Flint’s plan of relocating Linda and her children. Aunt Martha goes and tries to convince Dr. Flint of reconsidering, but to no avail. Linda knows that her chances are low but still hangs on to a tiny string of hope.

Chapter 14: Another Link to Life

Chapter 14

Another Link to Life

Summary: Chapter 14 is about Linda’s second child with Mr. Sands. In this chapter, Dr. Flint furiously cut Linda’s hair off after finding out about the situation. Dr. Flint visited her everyday, insulting and threatening her. When her baby was born, her “heart was heavier than it had ever been before (85).”

Importance: The book revolves about slave women’s struggles. She finds out that her child is a girl.

Connection to Theme: After all the threats and insults from Dr. Flint, things worsen for Linda after the news of her second child being a girl. She knows that female slaves will be forcibly taken from.

Chapter 13: The Church and Slavery

Chapter 13

The Church and Slavery

Summary: This chapter is Linda talking about how slaveholders allowed to practice religion. Slaveholders are manipulating their slaves by preaching things such as “God sees you. You tell lies (75).” The clergyman, Mr. Pike, make slaves feel that they have to be totally submissive to their masters by saying “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling (75)”

Importance: slaveholders brainwash slaves into thinking that Jesus promotes slavery and he will punish slaves who dared to rebel.

Connection to Theme: Slaves are already abused physically, were being psychologically abused when Mr. Pike told them that they were slaves and were required to obey their masters without disobedience.

Chapter 12: Fear of Insurrection

Chapter 12

Fear of Insurrection

Summary: In this chapter Jacobs described Nat Turner's insurrection. During this the slaves' houses were "searched" and anything that looked like it was of value was taken and any writing confiscated and the slaves charged on it. Linda stayed at her grandmother's house during this and, because they had a white friend, they were protected from any wrong treatment. When their house was searched and a piece of writing was found, the most the soldiers did was tear it up and take some of their cloths. At night the soldiers became violent and procured some slaves.
Importance: This chapter was important in that it showed the cruelties done by those who weren't even slave masters. This also showed how they discouraged the learning of writing and reading.
Connection to Theme: One of the many displays of psychological abuse shown in this chapter was the way the slaves feared white people in general. Whether it was a slave master or a poor white man, the fear was still equally as great. The African Americans automatically felt that any person of white descent was above them and to be feared. This showed through their reactions to being unreasonably searched. The had no reason to search their homes, neither did they have reason to seize whatever property they wished. The slaves however were not shown to protest or fight back though. The just allowed them to continue because they were brought up to be submissive to the white people in such a way.

Chapter 11: The New Tie to Life

Chapter 11:
The New Tie To Life

Summary: Continuing after the events in the previous chapter, Jacobs described her time being pregnant  and when she had her child. She wrote that after her child was born prematurely she became very ill. She was visited by Dr. Flint during this time and soon after her brother William was given the task of checking up on her. As months passed, her son (who too was in bad condition) started to improve in health and Jacobs found that she started to love him more and more. Near the closing of the chapter however, the baby became sick once again and died.

Importance: This chapter was importance because it now showed Jacobs in the situation a mother in slavery would have gone through. Being faced with the indecisiveness of wanting the baby to live or die so that it would not have to face the trials which came with slavery was shown also as an unfortunate but inevitable fate.

Connection to Theme: African American slaves were abused psychologically to the point that they feared the bringing of new life to the world when in such a condition. In this chapter Jacobs wrote that she had conflicting feelings about the life of her child. On one hand she, as a mother, wanted more than anything to spare her child a life of pain and agony by praying for his death, while on the other hand her motherly instincts could not bear the loss of her child and would do anything to bring him back. Such conflicting emotions came from years of psychological abuse.

Chapter 10: A Perilous Passage In the Slave Girl's Life

Chapter 10:

A Perilous Passage In the Slave Girl's Life

Summary: This chapter talks about how Dr. Flint planned to domesticate Linda by building her a house four miles away. Linda does not want to be encased in a house far away from her grandmother. Linda summons a plan that will end with her freedom and away from Dr. Flint. She meets a lawyer named Mr. Sands and becomes impregnated by him. She anticipated to be sold away by Dr. Flint when he hears of the news but her plan ultimately backfires. Dr. Flint declares that he will not sell her but will instead take care of her.

Importance: The importance of this chapter is to show the readers the limited choices Linda had. She had to make sacrifices in order to secure the future of her young and herself.

Connection to Theme: Linda is torn between keeping pure and thinking of the future. She prefers to willingly give her virginity to someone she likes instead of it being taken away by force by Dr. Flint. She also suffers the alienation by her grandmother when she was told of the news.

Chapter 9: Sketches of Neighboring Slaves

Chapter 9:

Sketches of Neighboring Slaves

Summary: In this chapter, Linda talks about the different slaveholders near her neighborhood. The first one she talks about is Mr. Litch. She explains to detail of the different punishments that were inflicted upon the slaves. One punishment was stripping a slave of his clothes, whipped him, and tied him to a tree outside his house. She also mentions of a young lady who inherits slaves. She treats them as if they were best friends until she marries a man with bad intentions. The woman warns them that she will no longer have the power to protect them but they insist that they want to stay. They then experience the hardships of slavery after their mistress’ marriage.

Importance: The importance of this chapter is to reveal the horrible acts of slavery done by slaveholders. Besides slavery, this chapter also shows how women lose their power once they marry men.

Connection to Theme: Most of the punishments displayed in this chapter were not only make the slaves suffer physically but mentally as well. When slaves are stripped of their clothing, it’s like taking away their dignity.

Chapter 8: What Slaves Are Taught To Think of the North

Chapter 8:

What Slaves Are Taught To Think of the North

Summary: Jacobs describes in this chapter what slave masters taught their slaves, mainly on how the north was. She talked about how a slave master told a story about a slave who escaped to the north and how the slave begged to be brought back because of the terrible conditions in the north. This story was absorbed by most slaves, further discouraging the thought of being free.

Importance: This chapter is important in that it showed a means slave master utilized to control their slaves and keep them from not only trying to escape to the north, but even considering it.

Connection to Theme: Although no violence or punishment was issued in this chapter, the most effective type of psychological abuse was still displayed. By diminishing their slaves’ hope of ever being free, they were able to control them in an almost absolute manner. It was written by Jacobs that while the lies seemed far-fetched, some of the ignorant slaves actually believed them and became submissive to their masters.

Chapter 7: The Lover

Chapter 7:

The Lover

 

Summary: It was in this chapter that Jacobs described her experience having a lover. She told readers that her master did not take the news of her wish to marry a free black man graciously. She wrote that he responded to this by saying “How dare you tell me so!” in page 40. She was thereby forbidden to speak to her lover and soon after he left to Savannah.

Importance: This chapter displayed yet another restriction placed on the slaves: they were not permitted to love freely. For those female slaves who dared to have a lover, they were stripped of this freedom immediately.

Connection to Theme: The restrictions placed on a slave were a form of psychological abuse. As shown in this chapter, Jacobs’ freedom to love someone who would treat her like a dog. Psychologically she would feel as if there was no one in the world who would uphold the values of a good man.

Chapter 6: The Jealous Mistress

Chapter 6:

The Jealous Mistress

Summary: Dr. Flint becomes impatient with Linda’s resistance and devices a plan. After a fight with the mistress, he declares that his daughter shall stay in his apartment and appoints Linda to care for her. Dr. Flint assigns Linda, forcing her to sleep where the daughter sleeps. Once the mistress hears of his intentions of keeping their daughter in his room, Mrs. Flint forces Linda to swear upon the Bible to not sleep with her husband. Mrs. Flint promises to protect Linda from the master, but Linda doubts that the protection will last.

Importance: This chapter shows the difficult position of slave women. They either have to please on or get punished by the other.

Connection to Theme: Linda is torn between pleasing her master and the mistress. She suffers from the misconduct master and the jealous mistress. Linda has been train to want to please her master but in this situation, one master would have to unsatisfied in order for the other one to be pleased.

Chapter 5: The Trials of Girlhood

Chapter 5:

 The Trials of Girlhood

 Summary: Linda is being pursued by Dr.Flint invoking the jealous mistress. Dr.Flint devices a plan to get closer to his goal of getting Linda to submit to him. He assigns her to care for his daughter, forcing Linda to sleep wherever the daughter is. Dr.Flint would then move his daughter to his room, forcing Linda to sleep there as well. Mrs.Flint overhears his plan and forces Linda to promise that she won’t sleep with Dr.Flint. Linda promises with her hand on the Bible. The mistress promised to protect Linda from the master, but Linda knew the protection would not last. Linda then mentions two sisters, one white and the other is her slave. They both grow up together but the white sister marries while the other one is left behind to suffer from her master’s sexual exploits.

Importance: Linda is being filled with explicit fantasies produced by her master.  She is afraid that he will take away everything she believes in as a woman if her master gets what he desires.

Connection to Theme: Linda is becoming exposed to the thoughts of her master. On page 27, she states “He tried his utmost to corrupt the pure principles my grandmother had instilled”.

Chapter 4: The Slave Who Dared to Feel Like a Man

Chapter 4:

The Slave Who Dared to Feel Like a Man

Summary: This chapter described an incident which involved Jacob’s brother Benjamin. She wrote that after being called by his master, Benjamin failed to respond. When he eventually came, the master struck him and Benjamin took his master and threw him. He ran away but was captured shortly after and was sent to jail.

Importance: This showed the tolerance of the slave master to disobedience and portrayed slaves as property rather than human beings.

Connection to Theme: In these times, slaves were expected to conform to the bidding of their masters without hesitation or resistance.

Chapter 3: The Slaves' New Years Day

Chapter 3:

The Slaves' New Years Day

Summary: In this chapter Jacobs described what New Year’s Day was like for a slave. Rather than being a day of celebration for them it was a day many feared, as they were on many occasions given new masters who were typically worse than the ones they already had. She wrote that “it is easy to find out who clothes and feeds his slaves well; for he is surrounded by a crowd.

Importance: This was important in that it showed how the slaves were conditioned to feel and act.

Connection to Theme: The slaves felt that staying with their current master or going with one that would treat them well was the better option in this situation. This was something an animal would do as well, showing how their masters made them conform to thinking this way.