The Bondwoman's Narrative

Throughout her life, Hannah visits several different homes. These homes function as motifs, denoting different stages in her life and reflecting the different relationships she has with people. The cursed home of her first master, the naturalistic and beatific home of Mrs. Henry, the field slave slums of Mrs. Wheeler’s estate, and the New Jersey home she shares with her husband in New Jersey, each carry a different symbolic meaning and help chart the course of Hannah’s journey toward freedom.

The home where Hannah is born and raised is allegedly under a curse. Not only are the portraits of Sir Clifford’s family said to be auspicious, but there is also the linden tree to which Sir Clifford bound a slave until she died. The home is the first that Hannah knows. She appreciates having Aunt Hetty nearby and being able to receive an education for a time. As Hannah grows older, the house changes. It becomes more overbearing and oppressive as Hannah begins to fully comprehend the dangers of slavery. The house of the master represents Hannah’s awakening to the horrors of slavery and the need to escape. Along with her mistress, she moves from this home to one in the woods, which was the site of a brutal murder.