Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Characters

Mr. Sands’s wife. A minor character, she acknowledges her husband’s illegitimate children and offers to adopt Benny, but Linda refuses, worrying that she will treat him as a slave or sell him away when she gets bored of him.

A slave in Linda’s North Carolina community and friend of Grandmother, whose several children are all sold away from her. Aggie is Fanny’s mother, and helps her hide after her escape; she also encourages Grandmother to be happy about William’s escape to freedom, rather than mourning his loss.

A slave in Linda’s city in North Carolina, who escapes her masters and hides with her mother, Aggie. Linda finds out about Fanny’s predicament when Benny glimpses her one day, and helps make arrangements for the woman to escape with her.

A black pastor that Linda meets upon arriving in Philadelphia. He and his wife, Mrs. Durham, host her for some days before she moves on to New York, and she admires their good education and refined, middle-class way of life.

Mr. Durham’s wife, who Linda also meets upon arriving in Philadelphia. The couple host her for some days before she moves on to New York, and she admires their good education and refined, middle-class way of life.

The husband of Linda’s two employers in New York, Mrs. Bruce and the young Mrs. Bruce. Mr. Bruce plays little role in the narrative, and his absence underscores the independence and agency of his wives.

The husband of Emily Flint, Dr. Flint’s daughter. An unscrupulous spendthrift, Mr. Dodge goes to New York to try to recapture Linda, but the young Mrs. Bruce convinces him to sell her for a low price, as he needs money quickly to pay off his debts.

A slave in Linda’s city with a particularly cruel invalid master, who whips him constantly even though he depends on him completely for survival. Linda runs into Luke after they have both escaped to New York, and presents his case as evidence of the universal degradation slavery causes.

A particularly vicious slave-owner who kills one of his slaves, James, by locking him a cotton gin.

A pastor who leads services for slaves in Linda’s city. He attempts to use Christianity to indoctrinate slaves and convince them that slavery is a righteous institution; in fact, he convinces Linda of the inherent hypocrisy of slaveholders who practice Christianity.

An elderly slave whom Linda teaches to read, in order that he can read the Bible. His quest represents the meaningful engagement with Christianity that exists more often among slaves than slave holders.

An elderly white woman, and the sister of Grandmother’s mistress. When Grandmother’s mistress dies and Dr. Flint proposes to sell her, Miss Fanny buys her at auction for a low price and emancipates her. She also tries to protect Linda after she gets sent to the plantation.

Nicholas Flint’s young wife, for whom Linda works briefly on the plantation. Even though the young woman is the plantation’s mistress, Linda pities her because she knows her marriage will soon dissolve as a result of Nicholas Flint’s infidelity and immorality.

a long-time acquaintance of Grandmother’s, who bravely agrees to hide Linda in her house after she escapes from the Flints, thus preventing her from being recaptured.

A slave of the white woman who hides Linda, Jenny deduces her mistress’s secret, thus forcing Linda to leave the house. Later, Jenny snoops around Grandmother’s house as well; fear that she has seen Linda causes the family to send her north on a ship.

The first Mrs. Bruce’s daughter, for whom Linda cares as a nanny.

Two Quakers with whom Linda spends a year. Although she doesn’t mention it here, it’s Amy Post who encourages Jacobs to write and punish her memoirs.

A slave of Mr. Litch, who tries to escape but is recaptured and killed by being locked inside a cotton gin.

The cook of the white woman who hides Linda; a brave and loyal friend, she brings food to Linda, keeps her apprised of the latest news, and makes sure she remains undiscovered.