Incidents Conclusion

At the end of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Linda is disappointed with Northern life. She finds that racism is just as prevalent in the North as it is in the South, the only really difference being the actual institution of slavery. Although she finds a friendly person to board with, no one is pleased by her presence. In the train, she is not permitted to dine with her fellow nurses, nor will she be served in her room. She is forced to eat with the rest of the black people on the train because the white waiters feel degraded to serve a black woman, and the black waiters want equal service among themselves.

Linda eventually obtains her freedom by being bought and freed by a friend of Mrs. Bruce for only $300. Linda has mixed feelings about this because she has become aware of the fact that she is not a piece of property. To allow herself to be bought is to admit to herself and her old master that she is less than an independent human being. However, she is also grateful to finally be free.