Even the Kinder Masters

The incidents are so vividly portrayed in the book and the lives that the slaves endure are so devastating that we are angered by the situation. The slaves are helpless to their masters’ will, as their masters have complete control over their lives. Regardless of whether slave masters were cruel or kinder, the slaves had no power to exercise their own will. Linda dealt with two types of these white men. Dr. Flint is cruel and does not regard his slaves as humans. His inhumane treatment of the slaves makes him seem like a monster. On the other hand, Mr. Sands is a bit kinder, at least compared to Dr. Flint. In describing her encounter with Mr. Sands, Linda writes that “It chanced that a white unmarried gentleman had obtained some knowledge of the circumstances in which I was placed. He knew my grandmother, and often spoke to me in the street. He became interested for me, and asked questions about my master, which I answered in part. He expressed a great deal of sympathy, and a wish to aid me. He constantly sought opportunities to see me, and wrote to me frequently” (47). To Linda, such kind treatment must have seemed much more favorable than the treatment and advances she received from Dr. Flint. However, the relatively kinder nature of Mr. Sands is still not justification for his affair with Linda. He was still taking advantage of her. Even if Linda had agreed to an affair with him, he must have acknowledged that it was a forced decision on her part. Linda states that “He was an educated and eloquent gentleman; too eloquent, alas, for the poor slave girl who trusted in him. Of course I saw whither all this was tending. I knew the impassable gulf between us; but to be an object of interest to a man who is not married, and who is not her master, is agreeable to the pride and feelings of a slave, if her miserable situation has left her any pride or sentiment. It seems less degrading to give one’s self, than to submit to compulsion” (47). “Less degrading” is the phrase she used to describe the affair. This is not a form of consent. Had Mr. Sands been truly moral, he should have found a different way to help her rather than compromise her virtue. To me, Linda’s relationship with Mr. Sands showed how even the kindest slave masters were trapped in the mindset that slaves were not human beings. They may have treated slaves in a kindly manner, but did not place them on the same level as themselves. Mr. Sands was kinder to Linda, but even to him Linda more of an object than a human.