Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Linda leaves the next morning, accompanied by Ellen but leaving Benny, who is sick, with Grandmother. At the plantation, she has to leave Ellen with the kitchen slaves and work as a housekeeper, preparing the plantation house for the imminent arrival of Nicholas Flint’s new bride. Ellen is upset by the sudden changes in her life and often cries herself to sleep. Nicholas brags to the neighbors that he will disabuse Linda of her “town notions.”

Linda works hard, not wanting to seem “too much of a lady.” Every day she sees Nicholas beat other slave children, while their mothers stand by powerless. She feels it would be better for Ellen to die than live like that. One day, Ellen sobs in the yard the entire time Linda is working. Eventually the little girl runs away, and Linda later finds her sleeping under the raised foundation of the house. Later, she learns that Nicholas Flint found a snake under the house just that afternoon.

The next day, Linda sends Ellen back to Grandmother without asking permission. She doesn’t get in trouble because she’s been such an efficient housekeeper for the past week.

After three weeks on the plantation, Linda sneaks out at night to visit her children, walking quickly and fearfully back to the town. Grandmother lets her in and the whole family gathers, crying to see her. She looks over her sleeping children and Benny wakes up, telling her he’s happy that they haven’t “cut off your head at the plantation.” On the way back, she hears patrols riding through the night but manages to hide behind a tree.

After another week, Nicholas’s great aunt visits the plantation. This woman, Miss Fanny, is the one who bought Grandmother at auction and freed her; in subsequent years she’s often visited Grandmother, and the old women like to sit around sewing and remembering old stories. Mrs. Flint hates that people from her family associate with Linda and Grandmother, but fortunately Miss Fanny has an independent fortune and can do what she wants.

Linda is happy to see Miss Fanny, especially when the old woman confides that she’s visited specially to check on her and see if she can help her in any way. She tells Linda that she will never “feel any peace” about her and Grandmother until they are dead and gone to Heaven. Linda tells the old woman to not worry about her, concealing that she’s in the midst of planning an escape not to death, but freedom. She knows that she could escape by herself, but she mostly wants freedom for her children, and she’s trying to devise a plan to get them out as well.

After six weeks the house is ready for the new bride, and Linda receives permission to spend that Sunday with her family. She goes to Grandmother’s house; the calm day contrasts with her turbulent mind, as she’s wondering if she’ll ever spend a day like this at home, surrounded by her family, again. She visits her parents’ graves and promises to save Ellen from the trials she’s endured.

Again, Linda feels shame that she hasn’t managed to be as pure and virtuous as her mother. But as she passes the slaves’ meeting house, destroyed and decrepit after Nat Turner’s rebellion, she seems to hear her father’s voice telling her “not to tarry” until she is free. Her faith in God is renewed and strong.

Linda’s plan is to hide with a friend for a few weeks, until Dr. Flint gets tired of searching for her. She predicts that Dr. Flint will worry about the children disappearing as well, so he will sell them to Mr. Sands. Linda is packing her things when Grandmother comes into the room, sees what she’s doing, and scolds her for worrying an old woman and leaving her defenseless babies alone.

She says Linda should not depend on Mr. Sands for anything but “stand by our own children, and suffer with them till death.” Uncertain, Linda promises to stay for now. When the children climb into Linda’s lap, Grandmother pets them and accuses Linda of not loving them as she does.

Linda returns to the plantation, and soon the bride arrives. The slaves are excited, hoping the young Mrs. Flint will be a good mistress, but Linda has heard bad things about her character and knows that new wives like to assert their position through displays of cruelty. The new bride is beautiful and eager to see her new home; Linda pities her, knowing that “soon clouds would come over her sunshine.”

At dinner Linda has to wait upon Dr. Flint and Mrs. Flint, who are visiting. She hasn’t seen her old mistress for five years, and the woman seems happy to see her humbled and serving at the table. Dr. Flint forces her to run dozens of errands during the course of the dinner.

Linda starts working as a maid for the young Mrs. Flint. As she expected, the bride soon displays her authority over the slaves. She oversees weekly distribution of the slaves’ meat allowance, where different amounts are given to each man, woman, and child. When an elderly man arrives to collect his meat, the mistress takes it away from him and says that slaves who can’t work should eat grass.

After a week, the older Mrs. Flint visits the plantation for a private conference with the young Mrs. Flint. Linda assumes that they’re talking about her, and Mrs. Flint is urging her to be kept on the plantation at all costs. As she leaves, Linda hears her instructing her daughter-in-law to send for Linda’s children tomorrow. Later, a white neighbor that Linda knows confirms that they are bringing the children in order to tie her to the plantation. Linda knows she needs to act immediately.