Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl · Chapter
The Hairbreadth Escape explained
Linda visits Ellen in Brooklyn and learns that Mr.
What happens
Linda visits Ellen in Brooklyn and learns that Mr. Thorne has written to Dr. Flint revealing her location. She confides in Mrs. Bruce, who helps her flee to Boston with Ellen. After a tense journey involving segregated travel, Linda reunites with both her children and begins a new life of relative safety.
Themes in this chapter
Northern Complicity and Abolitionism
Mr. Thorne's betrayal shows how Northern individuals could aid slave catchers, while Mrs. Bruce and Lawyer Hopper represent abolitionist support.
Resistance and Escape
Linda's flight to Boston and her determination to keep Ellen with her exemplify active resistance to slavery.
Motherhood and Family Separation
Linda's efforts to reunite with her children and her anxiety over Ellen's safety highlight the theme of maternal love under duress.
Characters to notice
- Linda Brent
Narrator and protagonist; flees to Boston after Mr. Thorne betrays her location to Dr. Flint.
- Ellen
Linda's daughter; living with the Hobbs family, she discovers Mr. Thorne's letter and warns her mother.
- Mr. Thorne
Mrs. Hobbs's brother; betrays Linda by writing to Dr. Flint with her address.
- Mrs. Hobbs
Ellen's caretaker; feels guilty about her brother's treachery and allows Ellen to leave with Linda.
- Mrs. Bruce
Linda's employer and protector; helps Linda escape by providing shelter and a carriage, and gives Ellen a shawl and hood.
- Lawyer Hopper
Legal advisor; arranges for Linda's safe passage to Boston and speaks to the stewardess on her behalf.
Key passages
“I have seen your slave, Linda, and conversed with her. She can be taken very easily, if you manage prudently. There are enough of us here to swear to her identity as your property. I am a patriot, a lover of my country, and I do this as an act of justice to the laws.”
Mr. Thorne writes to Dr. Flint that Linda can be easily captured and that he will help identify her as property, claiming he acts out of patriotism and respect for the law.
This letter reveals the betrayal by Mr. Thorne and the legal mechanisms used to recapture fugitives.
“Kind Mrs. Bruce came to bid me goodbye, and when she saw that I had taken off my clothing for my child, the tears came to her eyes. She said, 'Wait for me, Linda,' and went out. She soon returned with a nice warm shawl and hood for Ellen.”
Mrs. Bruce, moved by Linda's sacrifice of her own clothing for Ellen, provides a warm shawl and hood for the child.
This act of kindness underscores Mrs. Bruce's compassion and support for Linda and her family.
“The day after my arrival was one of the happiest of my life. I felt as if I was beyond the reach of the bloodhounds; and, for the first time during many years, I had both my children together with me.”
Linda experiences profound joy upon reuniting with both her children in Boston, feeling safe from slave catchers for the first time in years.
This moment highlights the emotional culmination of Linda's escape and her longing for family unity.