There's No Such Thing as Free Lurch...

Linda attained her freedom by being bought by Mrs. Bruce, a kind white woman who Linda worked for as a nurse. She did, however, have mixed feeling about her situation. To her, the concept of slaves being bought as property was morally appalling, even if it were to buy their freedom. When Mr. Dodge offered Linda a chance to buy her freedom, Mrs. Bruce said ". . . she would go to the ends of the earth, rather than pay any man or woman for her freedom, because she thinks she has a right to it." (p. 161) This is a subtle indicator that Linda was so outspoken about her beliefs on slavery and freedom that even Mrs. Bruce could relay them to a total stranger. To eventually have been "bought for freedom" is quite paradoxical; while Linda's ultimate goal was to win freedom from slavery for herself and her family, the means through which it was achieved left her without the satisfaction she would have gained from directly winning her own struggle.