Incidents 1

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl has helped shed light on many topics regarding slavery.  It has not only shown how appalling slavery was with certain owners but also shown that with the right owners slavery was not as hard a life as others might think.  Linda Brent says, "When I was six years old... I learned, by the talk around me, that I was a slave" (Incidents 5). Unlike most other slaves, Brent’s family was able to have an income since her dad was able to work on other plantations as a carpenter.  This was very unusual for slaves and to have a mistress this kind was a great privilege.  After Brent’s mistress died, she was sent to work for a relative of her mistress, Dr. Flint’s daughter.  However, her new owners were nothing like her previous owners and were very cruel.

Benjamin would rather risk running away then being punished by his master.  Benjamin fights back at his master, one of the richest men in town, and wins.  Brent writes that after this event Benjamin says, “Linda, we are dogs here…Let them bring me back. We don’t die but once” (19).  Benjamin attempts to escape to the North even though it is likely he will not be successful and would face severe punishment if he is caught.  Slaves take great risks for that small chance of freedom.