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.
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