Peter Character Analysis in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

A slave and family friend of Linda’s, who finds a way for her to escape on a ship heading towards Philadelphia. Linda is grateful that Peter takes huge risks to secure her freedom, even though he knows it will bring no benefit to him. In one of the narrative’s most affecting passages, she contrasts his strength of character with the fact that legally, he’s not even considered a person.

Peter Quotes in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

The Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl quotes below are all either spoken by Peter or refer to Peter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The Dehumanizing Effects of Slavery Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Dover Thrift Editions edition of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl published in 2001.

Yet that intelligent, enterprising, noble-hearted man was a chattel! Liable, by the laws of a country that calls itself civilized, to be sold with horses and pigs!

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 129

Explanation and Analysis:

Peter Character Timeline in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

The timeline below shows where the character Peter appears in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...that she’ll soon be in a free state. When she leaves the house she finds Peter, a longtime friend, waiting for her. In a boat, he rows her out to a... (full context)

After another day in this hellish environment Peter decides that she must go home. Linda disguises herself and darkens her face with charcoal... (full context)

...order to mislead Dr. Flint further, Linda writes him some letters which she entrusts to Peter to take north and post from New York. She also writes a letter to her... (full context)

One night, Peter arrives at the house and tells Linda that he’s found a way for her to... (full context)

...James, whose case Linda =described earlier). Frightened, Grandmother persuades Linda not to go. She tells Peter to give the spot on the ship to Fanny instead, and he approaches Aggie without... (full context)

...Phillip says that Linda must get on the boat with Fanny. Informed about the emergency, Peter rushes to the wharf and finds the ship setting off; he rushes aboard and tells... (full context)

...never felt so earnest and trusting in her prayers. All too soon, she departs with Peter, leaving home forever. (full context)

At the wharf, Linda bids farewell to Uncle Phillip and Peter; she’s grateful that her friend has risked so much for her, and deeply upset to... (full context)