I found the character of Linda’s grandmother. Throughout the chapters that I have read so far, she exists as a sort of safe and calming presence. She exhibits many of the qualities that typical fiction grandmothers would have. She always is baking or cooking something for others or to sell and her house smells good. She exists as a place for her grandchildren to escape to and will always comfort them.
Something that is really admirable about her character is the fact that even though she is technically free after years and years of hard work, she refuses to go North if any of her children or grandchildren are still trapped in the system of slavery. This shows how much she values her family and will do anything in her power to either buy them back or simply remain a person of support. I find this especially relevant in Linda’s life because her grandmother also serves as her mother once Linda’s parents are no longer around. Her grandmother takes on this duty, as well as all the other duties she has to other family members and rarely falters.
I loved this character too! Aunt Martha definitely represents a kind of reliable, unconditional love and support that Linda had always lacked from her own parents. Despite all the hardships of slavery, Aunt Martha provides Linda with emotional comfort and serves as a maternal figure. In addition to the valuable advice and wisdom she gives to Linda for navigating the complexities of slavery, I think she also is largely responsible for helping Linda find her own sense of morality and self-respect. Aunt Martha’s also exhibits such resilience and she refuses to be broken by the system of slavery, which serves as an inspirational model of resistance for Linda, and later, carrying on Aunt Martha’s legacy becomes a huge part of Linda’s desire to secure freedom. Overall, Jacobs inclusion of this character seems to make a statement against the dehumanization of slaves, because of how much humanity there is within Aunt Martha.