Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl · Character

Dr. Flint

A small-town doctor whose professional respectability masks a predatory willfulness, he claims absolute ownership over Linda's body and soul and refuses to be refused.

major

Also known as Mistress Dr. Flint, old Flint, ole massa Flint, Cunning Dr. Flint

First appearance: The New Master and Mistress

As a major figure in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Dr. Flint is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Continues to pursue Linda relentlessly, using threats and manipulation to try to force her return.

In the storySeven Years ConcealedOpen this moment free

Dr. Flint is Linda's master, a man whose medical standing gives him cover for relentless sexual pursuit and petty tyranny. He alternates between oily endearments and threats of violence, enraged less by Linda's resistance than by the idea that a enslaved woman might choose a freeborn black man over him. His obsession drives the central cat-and-mouse of the narrative's early and middle sections, making him the embodiment of slaveholding power's intimate cruelty.

See Dr. Flint in Seven Years Concealed Book page

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Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Dr. Flint sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Psychological
Other

Character groups

Linda's Support Network

+15 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this climactic moment, the emotional peak occurs when Linda finally musters the courage to confess her "gre…

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Relationships

Grandmother
rivalry · negative
Mrs. Flint
psychological · negative
Grandmother
rivalry · negative
Grandmother
rivalry · negative
Mrs. Flint
psychological · negative

Grandmother
Dr. Flint and Grandmother are locked in a power struggle, as he tries to control Linda and she resists his authority.
Mrs. Flint
Dr. and Mrs. Flint are married, but their relationship is marked by mutual suspicion, cruelty, and shared tyranny over enslaved people.
Grandmother
Dr. Flint and Grandmother are locked in a power struggle, as he tries to control Linda and she resists his authority.
Grandmother
Dr. Flint and Grandmother are locked in a power struggle, as he tries to control Linda and she resists his authority.
Mrs. Flint
Dr. and Mrs. Flint are married, but their relationship is marked by mutual suspicion, cruelty, and shared tyranny over enslaved people.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Dr. Flint in The New Master and Mistress

In the story

Dr. Flint appears across 25 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Seven Years Concealed
Continues to pursue Linda relentlessly, using threats and manipulation to try to force her return.
The New Master and Mistress
The new master; an epicure who cruelly punishes slaves and defrauds grandmother of her freedom.
III: The Slaves’ New Year’s Day
Mentioned as owning a fine residence, several farms, and about fifty slaves.
The Slave Who Dared to Feel Like a Man
Linda's master; his 'stinging, scorching words' and assertion that Linda was made for his use provoke her hatred.
V: The Trials of Girlhood
Begins whispering foul words and using manipulative tactics to corrupt Linda, asserting his ownership over her.
VI: The Jealous Mistress
Continues his sexual advances, uses manipulation and threats, and claims he cannot sell Linda because she is his daughter's property.
VII: The Lover
Violently opposes Linda's relationship with a free Black man, threatens to send her to Louisiana, and asserts his absolute control over her life.
X: A Perilous Passage in the Slave Girl's Life
Plans to build a secluded cottage for Linda; is stunned when she reveals she is pregnant by another man.
XI: The New Tie to Life
Continues to harass Linda, demanding the father's identity and threatening her; asserts his ownership; uses William as a messenger.
The Church and Slavery
Mentioned as having joined the Episcopal church, yet continuing his persecutions of Linda.
Another Link to Life
Dr. Flint rages at Linda's defiance, cuts her hair, strikes her, and forces her to stand with her newborn; he threatens to sell her child and curses her and her deceased relatives.
XV: Continued Persecutions
Dr. Flint threatens to sell Linda's children, physically assaults her and Benny, and accuses her of plotting an intrigue.
Scenes at the Plantation
Dr. Flint orders Linda around with emphasis, calling her 'your mistress,' and plans to bring her children to the plantation to break them in.
XVII: The Flight
Dr. Flint searches for Linda, posts a reward for her capture, and threatens violence against anyone who aided her.
XVIII: Months of Peril
Continues his relentless pursuit, searching houses and jailing Linda's relatives to force her return.
XIX: The Children Sold
Dr. Flint, disheartened and short on money, sells William and the children to a slave trader. He later discovers the deception and threatens Linda's family, but his power over her children is broken.
XX: New Perils
Arrests uncle Phillip and intensifies the search for Linda.
XXIV: The Candidate for Congress
Dr. Flint returns from New York and actively campaigns against Mr. Sands, using liquor to sway voters.
Competition in Cunning
Attempts to trap Linda by offering to let her be purchased, and writes to the mayor of Boston to verify her location.
New Destination for the Children
Continues to assert power over Linda's children, claiming they are still his daughter's property and threatening their freedom.
XXVIII: Aunt Nancy
Nancy's master, who shows momentary softness at her death but later tries to manipulate Linda's grandmother into convincing Linda to return.
The Meeting of Mother and Daughter
Linda writes to him requesting terms for her purchase; he advises her to return and submit to her owners.
The Old Enemy Again
Writes a deceitful letter under the guise of Emily's brother, attempting to lure Linda back; travels to New York in search of her.
XXXVIII: Renewed Invitations to Go South
Referenced as the old master whose family is aware of Linda's movements and continues to pursue her.
Appendix
Referenced as the master whose treatment of Linda is known to George W. Lowther.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Dr. Flint unlock in the free preview.

See Dr. Flint in The New Master and Mistress

See Dr. Flint in Seven Years Concealed