In "Life of a Slave Girl," written by Harriet Jacobs, there is a part where the main character, Linda, faces a lot of competition and cunning behavior from others. This means that some people are very tricky and do sneaky things to get what they want, especially when it comes to power and control.
In this chapter, Linda is living in a big, old house where she works for a mean lady named Dr. Flint. The setting of the house is very important because it shows how trapped Linda feels. The house is like a cage where she is watched all the time, and she cannot escape. This makes it even harder for her to compete against Dr. Flint and other people who want to control her life.
The setting also helps us understand the other people around Linda. There are other enslaved people who watch each other and sometimes compete for the favor of Dr. Flint. They might do things to please him because they think it will make their lives a little bit easier. Linda sees this and knows that she has to be clever to survive. She learns to be cunning too, finding ways to outsmart Dr. Flint while keeping herself safe.
Overall, the competition and sneaky behavior make the story tense and exciting. The house where Linda lives adds to this struggle because it shows how hard it is for her to escape both physically and emotionally. In the end, Linda's cleverness and strength help her fight against the unfairness of slavery.