the end"

Linda’s freedom is not what she had hoped for. By fleeing to the North, she only realized how widespread injustice had become through government/institutional support. Not only did legislation cause her to fear for her life, but through education and conversation she began to resent the whole idea of not being in control of her liberties and of the attitudes of some blacks accepting their place and of whites driven mind set to control them. She finally attains her freedom by having one of her many loyal and kind white patrons (or matron is probably more appropriate) paying for her freedom when the Flints (now the Drugdes or something like that) turned up in a time of economic need. Her response to this is mixed because she’s glad to finally have that weight and fear lifted from her shoulders and yet she resents needing to have her freedom purchased. She hated  the fact that she was born into an institution that limited her rights below those of another demographic even though in many cases blacks were productive and intelligent members of society in the North. She began to realize and understand the futility and stupidity of the institution by the end of the book and hated being a part of it.