Summary

Walters began the essay by saying she had never been interested in slavery. She actively avoided thinking about slavery because she did not want to confront the horror of history. Before the events of the essay, Walters believed slavery was a solely Southern phenomenon. However, she found that slavery was not limited to just the Southern states.

Walters lived in New England and described how her house feels weak in the face of the New England winter’s wind. She was incredibly lonely and feels this loneliness both emotionally and physically. She felt a “sharp twinge” in her side, pain in her leg when she sat down, and sore skin when she showered. She knew these pains were likely because of her loneliness. Her self-help books gave a piece of advice that she struggled to accept, “to become free from disappointment...