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.