![]() ![]() Though Douglass’s narrative builds to his escape from very early on, it does not provide details of the escape. Few slaves had the education, leisure time, and permission necessary to craft lengthy autobiographies. Douglass’s narrative became the most widely read slave narrative in the antebellum United States and contributed to the momentum of the abolitionist movement in America.Īn essential component for most slave narratives was the slave’s freedom. Frederick Douglass, writing largely for a white audience, does his very best to establish the legitimacy of his story by using, as far as possible, actual dates, names, and locations. Others insisted that former slaves could not be trusted to tell the truth about slavery. Some readers found the abuses described too horrifying to believe. ![]() Many slave narratives were criticized by white readers at the time of their publication as unrealistic fabrications. Beginning in the 18th century with accounts like Olaudah Equiano’s well-known 1789 autobiography, the slave narrative became the largest sub-genre of captivity narratives. Captivity narratives were generally written in first person and included accounts of abduction by slave catchers, pirates, Native Americans, and others. Start Mijn Gratis Proefperiode* Frederick Douglassĭouglass’s narrative is an example of a captivity narrative, a common literary genre in the 18th and 19th centuries. ![]()
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