Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl · Chapter
The Meeting of Mother and Daughter explained
Linda Brent arrives in New York and arranges to meet her daughter Ellen, who has been living with Mrs.
What happens
Linda Brent arrives in New York and arranges to meet her daughter Ellen, who has been living with Mrs. Hobbs. The reunion is bittersweet as Linda discovers that Mr. Sands has given Ellen to Mrs. Hobbs's daughter, and that Ellen has been kept ignorant and neglected. Linda resolves to earn money to secure her children's freedom and writes to Dr. Flint and his daughter to inquire about purchasing her own freedom.
Themes in this chapter
Motherhood and Family Separation
Linda's reunion with Ellen is overshadowed by the pain of separation and the threat of future loss, as Ellen has been given away without Linda's consent.
Dehumanization and Identity
Linda must pretend to be from Canada to protect herself and others, highlighting how slavery forces her to live a false identity.
The Illusion of Kind Masters
Mr. Sands, who promised to emancipate the children, has not kept his word, and Mrs. Hobbs, a fellow mother, callously informs Linda that Ellen will be a waiting-maid.
Characters to notice
- Linda Brent
Arrives in New York, reunites with her daughter Ellen, and begins efforts to secure her children's freedom.
- Ellen
Linda's daughter, who has been living with Mrs. Hobbs for two years, is neglected in her education and asks to live with her mother.
- Mr. Sands
Has given Ellen to Mrs. Hobbs's eldest daughter and has not kept his promise to emancipate the children.
- Dr. Flint
Linda writes to him requesting terms for her purchase; he advises her to return and submit to her owners.
- Grandmother
Mentioned as the former neighbor of Sarah's mother, connecting Linda to her past community.
- William
Linda's brother, whom she has been searching for; she learns he has gone on a whaling voyage.
Key passages
“I like a straightforward course, and am always reluctant to resort to subterfuges. So far as my ways have been crooked, I charge them all upon slavery.”
Linda prefers honesty but blames slavery for forcing her to deceive others to survive.
Reflects the moral compromise imposed by the system of slavery.
“How could she, who knew by experience the strength of a mother’s love, and who was perfectly aware of the relation Mr. Sands bore to my children—how could she look me in the face, while she thrust such a dagger into my heart?”
Linda is devastated that Mrs. Hobbs, herself a mother, would casually reveal that Ellen is destined to be a servant.
Highlights the betrayal by another woman who understands maternal bonds.
“In order to protect my children, it was necessary that I should own myself. I called myself free, and sometimes felt so; but I knew I was insecure.”
Linda realizes that true freedom for her children depends on her legally owning herself.
Emphasizes the precariousness of freedom for escaped slaves.