Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl · Chapter
The Confession explained
Linda Brent finally confesses to her daughter Ellen the truth about her past, including her enslavement and the circumstances of Ellen's birth.
What happens
Linda Brent finally confesses to her daughter Ellen the truth about her past, including her enslavement and the circumstances of Ellen's birth. To her relief, Ellen already knows and reassures her of her unwavering love. After Ellen leaves for boarding school, Linda moves to Rochester, works with her brother William in an unsuccessful anti-slavery reading room, and finds refuge with the family of Isaac and Amy Post.
Themes in this chapter
Motherhood and Family Separation
Linda's painful decision to send Ellen to boarding school and her fear that revealing her past might damage their bond.
Dehumanization and Identity
Linda's struggle with her own sense of sin and the lasting impact of slavery on her identity and relationship with her daughter.
Northern Complicity and Abolitionism
The Posts exemplify genuine abolitionist commitment, contrasting with the lukewarm support for the anti-slavery reading room.
Characters to notice
- Linda Brent
Confesses her past to Ellen and struggles with the fear of losing her daughter's love.
- Ellen
Shows maturity and compassion by revealing she already knows about her father and reaffirms her love for her mother.
- William
Arranges for Ellen's boarding school and later proposes opening an anti-slavery reading room in Rochester.
- Mr. Sands
Mentioned as Ellen's father who neglected her during her five months in Washington.
Key passages
“I recounted my early sufferings in slavery, and told her how nearly they had crushed me. I began to tell her how they had driven me into a great sin, when she clasped me in her arms, and exclaimed, 'O, don't, mother! Please don't tell me any more.'”
Linda started to describe her painful past and the circumstances that led to what she considered a great sin, but Ellen embraced her and begged her to stop.
Ellen's reaction shows her deep empathy and desire to protect her mother from reliving trauma.
“I knew all the time he was my father, for Fanny's nurse told me so, but she said I must never tell anybody, and I never did.”
Ellen reveals she had known about her father for years, having been told by the nurse, but kept it secret as instructed.
This disclosure highlights the hidden knowledge and emotional burdens carried by enslaved children.
“They measure a man's worth by his character, not by his complexion.”
The Posts judge people based on their moral qualities rather than their race.
This line underscores the radical egalitarianism of the abolitionist household.