Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl takes place during the early 1800’s. This is based on the true story of Harriet Jacobs. Harriet Jacobs is the writer of the novel and in the book is referred to as the main character, Linda Brent. Harriet Jacobs wrote this novel during her time as a slave and was frightened to publish it but she felt it would help stop slavery. She also used different names for the people that she encountered during her lifetime. Other Characters included; Dr. Flint, Mr. Sands, Uncle Benjamin, Benny, Ellen, and the second Mrs. Bruce. These characters and events were all based on people whom Harriet Jacobs dealt with throughout her life.
Linda was under the command of her cruel master Dr. Flint. Dr. Flint begins to entice
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Sands. She is looking for an outlet to help her children escape this horror so she decided that she would take them to the north. She doesn’t want to give into the abuse of Dr. Flint but isn’t willing to leave her children behind. Linda then goes into hiding in her grandmother’s (Aunt Martha) attic, hoping that her children will not see her or reveal her location only so that she may look after them and watch them grow. Many slaves during this time period were looking to escape to the north but only if they could bring their families. In most cases they would have to leave them behind in order to obtain their own …show more content…
Flint assumes she has escaped to the north and sells the children but finds out he is on the hunt for her. She is overwhelmed with happiness when she finds out Dr. Flint fell into her trap and sold the children to a slave trader representing Mr. Sands. She was promised that her children would be sent to live with Aunt Martha and they would be reunited and escape to the north together. But then it all becomes cloudy as she learns that Mr. Sands marries and is now a congressman in Washington D.C. He takes Ellen with him.
Several years pasted and Linda finally escaped to the north. She leaves Benny behind who now lives with Aunt Martha and is reunited with nine year old Ellen. Linda discovers that Ellen is still a slave under Mr. Sands’ cousin Mrs. Hobbs. Slaves were sometimes kept between family members as an heirloom. Linda becomes fearful yet again because the future is undetermined for them. During this scene, Dr. Flint is still looking for Linda so she then escapes to Boston and is once again united with her son. Sometime soon Mrs. Bruce dies and Linda is living with her children in