In "The Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs, the enslaved people, especially young girls, are taught to think of the North as a dangerous place. They learn that if they run away, the North will seem nice, but it’s really a place full of traps. They believe that if they go there, they will be caught or even worse.
One literary device Harriet Jacobs uses is fear. This fear is important because it helps us understand what the characters are feeling. For example, when Jacobs talks about the North, she makes it sound scary, which shows us why some slaves might not try to escape. This fear also helps us see how strong the hold of slavery is on the people. They are so frightened that they don’t even think about the possibility of freedom.
This use of fear impacts the plot because it makes the characters hesitant and keeps them from taking risks. It also helps develop the character of Linda, the main character, because we see her inner struggles and fears. Linda’s story teaches us about hope and the strong desire for freedom, even when the North seems like a frightening place. In this way, the chapter shows the big theme of freedom versus the fear that keeps people from reaching it.