“Hiring-day at the south takes place on the 1st of January. On the 2d, the slaves are expected to go to their new masters” (Jacobs 15). A lot of irony is found in just the title of the shortest chapter of the novel; “The Slaves’ New Year’s Day.” One’s New Year’s Day should be filled with a lot of happiness and contentment, but for the slaves, this supposedly-joyful day would determine their life for the rest of the year. Another subject that Jacobs emphasized in this chapter is the sorrows of slave mothers. She talked about a mother who brought seven of her children to the auction-block, and lost all of them to a slave-trader. At this point, Linda Brent hasn’t got any children yet. The chapter somewhat foreshadows Linda whom later on became a mother. As any mother would, Linda did everything she could to protect her own children.
-Dovieke Angsana
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