Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Chapter 21 Summary & Analysis

Outside Grandmother’s house is a small shed, which has a tiny garret between the joists and the pointed roof. Phillip has constructed a trap door for access into the garret, which is barely more than a “hole” with no room to sit up and no vents for light or air. Linda has a mattress to sleep on, but it’s so cramped she can barely turn over and mice constantly run across her bed. However, in the morning she’s comforted by hearing the voices of her children outside.

The garret is uncomfortable and depressing, but Linda says she would easily choose living here over living in slavery. Even though her life as a slave was “comparatively devoid of hardships”—she’s never worked on a plantation or been severely punished—it’s worth any struggle to escape.

At night, the family brings Linda food and keeps her company, but she’s completely alone during the day. She crawls around the garret for exercise; one day she finds a nail and bores tiny holes in the wall, through which she can get some fresh air. Peering through them, she can see her children playing in the yard and people walking through the street—even Dr. Flint.

Soon after this, Dr. Flint goes to New York again, believing he’s discovered some new clue. When he returns, Benny (who doesn’t know where Linda is) sees him in the street and tells him he wants to see his mother. Dr. Flint threatens to cut off his head.

Linda gradually gets used to reading and sewing in the feeble light. However, life in the garret continues to be difficult—in the winter she’s freezing, and her feet get frostbite. People in the city have a habit of stopping to gossip in the street, and she often hears people talking about her and speculating that she’s in the free states. Dr. Flint often tries to bribe Benny and Ellen into divulging their mother’s whereabouts, but Ellen says nothing, and Benny tells him he thinks his mother is in New York.