| Title | : | The Heroic Slave |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1604592362 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781604592368 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 68 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1853 |
The Heroic Slave Reviews
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Frederick Douglass' Novel
Although he is best-known for his autobiographies, the great abolitionist and African American leader Frederick Douglass (1818 - 1895) also wrote an important novel. I learned of it in reading about Douglass. I was pleased to have the opportunity to find the book and to discuss it here. Douglass's novel, in fact an extended short story, is available in this new, inexpensive edition as well as in anthologies of his writings.
"The Heroic Slave" (18530 is among the first works of fiction by an African American. It is based upon a historical incident: the slave mutiny in November,1841 on the American ship, Creole. The Creole had sailed from Richmond with a cargo of 134 slaves to be sold in New Orleans. A slave with the name of Madison Washington escaped his irons and, together with 18 other slaves, took over the ship and sailed it to the British port of Nassau in the Bahamas. The British refused to return the slaves to their owners, and they remained in Nassau as free people. The United States government did not object. Many Americans responded to the incident by debating whether the United States should have been more aggressive in approaching Britain. However, Madison Washington became a hero to many abolitionists, including Douglass. The Creole incident is similar to the better-known slave rebellion involving the Amistad.
Douglass' equates the actions of Madison Washington in commandeering the Creole with the actions of his namesakes, (Madison and Washington) among others, in the Revolutionary War of 1776. Here is how he opens the novel:
"The State of Virginia is famous in American annals for the multitudinous array of her statesmen and heroes. She has been dignified by some the mother of statesmen...... Yet not all the great ones of the Old Dominion have, by the fact of their birth-place escaped undeserved obscurity. By some strange neglect, one of the truest manliest, and bravest of her children .... hold now no higher place in the records of that grand old Commonwealth than is held by a horse or an ox. Let those account for it who can, but there stands the fact, that a man who loved liberty as well as did Patrick Henry, - who deserved it as much as Thomas Jefferson, - and who fought for it with a valor as high, an arm as strong, and against odds as great, as he who led all the armies of the American colonies through the great war for freedom and independence, lives now only in the chattel records of his native State."
Douglass' short novel is in four parts, the last of which recounts the story of Madison Washington and the Creole. In the preceding three parts of the book, Douglass gives an imaginative portrayal of the earlier life of Madison Washington and his struggle for "freedom and independence". The earlier three parts tell of encounters over a space of years between Washington and a white northerner named Listwell. The first encounter was in 1835 when Listwell was traveling in Virginia and, on a Sunday, hears a lone bloodied slave praying and denouncing the inhumanity of his bondage. Listwell does not speak to the man but resolves instead to become an abolitionist and work towards the end of slavery.
In 1840, Listwell and his wife, on their farm in Ohio are approached by a lone traveler who turns out to be Madison Washington. Listwell tells Washington of the earlier encounter in 1835. Washington explains his various attempts at escape and the five years he spent in a swamp before a fire destroyed this site of refuge and threatened him with capture. Listwell helps Washington secure passage on the Underground Railroad to Canada.
Part 3 of the book occurs in 1841. Listwell is again in Virginia and staying at an inn. He observes a long coffle of slaves to be sold and sees Madison Washington among them. Listwell manages a few moments alone with Washington and learns that he was recaptured when he returned to Virginia in a failed attempt to rescue his wife. Listwell is able to smuggle three files to Washington, together with ten dollars, before, the group is put on board the Creole to be sold in New Orleans.
The final part of the book is recounted in the words of the first mate of the Creole, who describes the manly courageous character of Marcus Washington. Washington spared his life, navigated the Creole through a treacherous storm and led the slaves to freedom.. The mate concludes that he will "never endanger my life again in a cause which my conscience does not approve. I dare say here what many men feel, but dare not speak, that this whole slave-trading business is a disgrace and scandal to Old Virginia." The mate also recounts the justification Madison Washington offered for his actions in terms that recall the Revolution:
"God is my witness that LIBERTY, not malice, is the motive for this night's work. I have done no more to those dead men yonder, than they would have done to me in like circumstances. We have struck for our freedom, and if a true man's heart be in you, you win honor us for the deed. We have done that which you applaud your fathers for doing, and if we are murderers, so were they."
This short, eloquent novel speaks of the value of independence, freedom, and courage. The novel has been compared to Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which had appeared about a year earlier. The best parallel to the book, however, is Melville's masterful story of a slave mutiny, "Benito Cereno" Benito Cereno (Bedford College Editions) which appeared in 1855, two years after Douglass' book. Readers interested in American literature or in the African American experience will enjoy getting to know Douglass' "Heroic Slave".
Robin Friedman -
"The Heroic Slave," by Frederick Douglass (published in Autographs for Freedom, edited Julia Griffiths [Cleveland: John P. Jewett & Company, 1853])
Available online:
http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/africam/... [date accessed 31 July 2021] -
Frederick Douglass's The Heroic Slave is a fine entry in a genre of literature from the 19th century that dramatizes a then real-life slave rebellion aboard The Creole, a slave ship that, post rebellion, docked in England, freeing nearly 20 slaves. I much prefer "A Dash for Liberty" by Pauline E. Hopkins, but this is not to suggest that The Heroic Slave is without merit. What Douglass offers that Hopkins, by contrast, does not, is a clear and compelling articulation of freedom.
Douglass's hero, Madison Washington, casts freedom as inherently collective. Madison successfully flees to Canada but returns to the deep South to liberate his enslaved wife. In attempting to secure her freedom, she dies, and Madison's former master returns him to slavery. Regarding his motivations, he says, "I could not be free with the galling thought that my poor wife was still a slave. With her in slavery, my body, not my spirit, was free" (38). Here, Madison articulates how any single individual's freedom is contingent on collective freedom. That is to say, I am as free as my neighbor, and if my neighbor is not free, then neither am I. This may strike many as incorrect since we live in a moment that overemphasizes the importance of the individual relative to the collective. This is where, for example, the lesson of COVID-19 is so important. I have the freedom to leave my home, dine in restaurants, and purchase consumer goods, but there is nothing I as an individual can do to protect myself against contracting COVID-19 because that power lies with everyone else. In the same way that I am only free from the prospect of poverty when poverty as a possibility is eradicated, so too goes COVID-19. This is precisely Douglass's point: Madison is free not when he flees slavery for a place like Canada where slavery does not exist, but when slavery itself, when slavery as an idea and ontological possibility, ceases to exist. -
A slave escapes from Virginia and travels through Ohio on his way to sanctuary in Canada, and that's only the beginning.
Book Review: The Heroic Slave is the only work of fiction written by the great abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. Who knew? My reading of this was inspired by reading Ta-Nehisi Coates' first novel, The Water Dancer. The Heroic Slave is more short story than novella and more advocacy than story, but an interesting rarity nonetheless. As might be expected of a first piece of fiction, it relies on unbelievable coincidences, but the periodic willing suspension of disbelief is required calisthenics these days, anyway. Although fiction, this is also a slave narrative, with the climax of the story based on an actual but generally unknown event from 1841. The story, however, comes second to the more didactic points Douglass wants to make in The Heroic Slave. He makes clear to those who might fail to understand (this was America in 1853), that slaves were human beings: "children of a common Creator -- guilty of no crime -- men and women ... chained ... humanity converted into merchandise ... all to fill the pockets of men ... who gain their fortune by plundering the helpless." He exposes the hypocrisy of slavery existing in a country that not long before had fought for its freedom, but when slaves did the same labeled them criminals. A white character says, "Our difference of color was the only ground of difference ... it was not that his principles were wrong ... for they are the principles of 1776." To reinforce that point Douglass names his mighty and "noble protagonist" Madison Washington. Reminding his readers that in America the proper response to tyranny is revolt. Having escaped slavery in 1838 at age 20, Douglass later became a leading abolitionist voice and publisher. He was an adviser to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, also serving as an ambassador to the Dominican Republic and consul-general in Haiti. Douglass was an early supporter of the women's right movement, attending the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Although The Heroic Slave is brief and perhaps not great literature, it's an authentic voice of the times and an insight into the American past that is not even past. [3★] -
Fascinating novella that jumps around quite a bit, wherein Douglass tells the story of Madison Washington and the events that led up to his eventual leading of a slave revolt. What is particularly intriguing to me about the novella is how Madison's story is often framed by the perspective of whites, both sympathetic (the abolitionist convert Mr. Listwell) and abhorrent (slave traders, though Grant does have some degree of shift in his view of slavery by the end). Thus, Douglass not only interrogates slavery and its direct effects on black subjects, but also white figurings of slavery and racial difference. The exclusively white privilege to step back from racial prejudice and issues (one scene where Listwell refrains from protesting slavery, allowing a mistaken assumption that he himself is a slave-holder, to maintain a favorable social standing is particularly notable) and the refusal of whites to recognize both black agency and legality before "law" are exposed by Douglass in profound ways, and even if the structure of the novella as a whole is a bit clunky, there are some truly sublime and incisive passages.
This addition includes a wealth of supplementary material that makes it well-worth picking up. The fragment of Douglass's "What to the slave is the Fourth of July?" is particularly good considering its compactness. Reading this was both historically enriching and timely. -
Really short book my Mom picked up for me at an African American History Museum. I had read his autobiography and it was excellent. This one was just OK. I think it was mainly the 19th century writing style with its lengthy descriptions and habit of addressing the reader directly. But that's not Douglass' fault. He wrote it in 1853 and I'd say it was perfect for the time. Actually, it was incredibly bold and progressive for the time. This passage towards the end is incredibly progressive considering the racial bias and belief of the era.
A white man described the heroic slave in this way...
"I confess, gentlemen, I felt myself in the presence of a superior man; one who, had he been a white man, I would have followed willingly and gladly in any honorable enterprise. Our difference of color was the only ground for difference of action. It was not that his principles were wrong in the abstract; for they are the principles of 1776. But I could not bring myself to recognize their application to one whom I deemed my inferior." -
Una historia corta que se lee de una sentada. Quizá la ficción no fuera el género predilecto de Douglass, pero su estilo, directo, sencillo y claro, elabora una historia de fácil y rápida lectura, al mismo tiempo que interesante. En ella refleja, con sus numerosos personajes, la visión de la sociedad americana del siglo XIX respecto a los esclavos, tanto de abolicionistas como de proesclavistas, incluyendo especialmete la perspectiva de los propios esclavos. Llama la atención cómo su prosa en todo momento muestra, sugerente, los ideales, sin directamente realizar juicios morales sobre ninguna ideología. En su lugar, guía al lector para mostrar su visión, dando la ilusión de que el lector está en todo momento decidiendo su posición, y no siendo persuadido a ella por medio de la historia y los personajes. Una lectura que, estoy segura, releeré muchas veces en el futuro
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When I learned that Frederick Douglass had written just one piece of fiction, I was interested in tracking it down. As one would imagine, Douglass’s fiction is very much fiction for a purpose, to make clear to his audience the evils of slavery. And apparently the initial purpose of the work was for abolition fund-raising. It is a work of historical fiction. The main character of the story — Madison Washington — is a historical figure. The work, a novella in length, is composed of 4 different parts and primarily follows two main characters, the slave (Madison Washington) and a sympathetic free white man (Mr. Listwell). And Part IV captures much of what is known about the Washington based on events that happened aboard the ship Creole in November 1841. Very interesting to compare and contrast this to Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin which was published just months before.
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Story seemed more for the people of Mr Douglass’ time than for anyone in the future. Seemed to be nearly written an a sermon. It’s a pity that Mr Douglass didn’t write a biography of the myriad of heroic African Americans from his time or times past. Biographies to remind or educate people of his time of the slaves and freedmen that fought in the revolutionary war for instance, would have been interesting. This made up story was ok but not great by any means.
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The depiction of women in this was really something oh man, but I guess it's a product of its time. I think we're going to discuss that aspect in the accompanying seminar I had to read this for which I'm excited for. Loved the intertextual references even though I had to look most of them up, but figuring them out made it kinda exciting.
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An incredible read. Although fictional, Douglass sheds light on the biggest hurdles involving freedom and liberty. It’s a simple, short read with absolutely beautiful language. While having a seemingly relaxed tone, the time passes quickly while reading this novel. This is definitely a great introduction to American Literature and, specifically, the slave narrative.
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I thought Douglass, perhaps understandably, went a bit overboard on describing the heroic nature of the Heroic Slave, Madison Washington. But I enjoyed the book just the same and was glad to see the final happy outcome for the heroic slave, much better than the unhappy outcome for Nat Turner in his rebellion.
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Loved it because it is Frederick Douglass and for its historical perspective and its significance. Although it is nicely written, at times even beautifully so, the story itself seems to be a cherry picked collection of small events in the span of years. Also, it is told by outsiders and not by the big hero, which makes it all feel a bit distant.
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My only problem with this book is it's too short.
There's so much that could be expanded upon and make for a really wonderfully thrilling and heartbreaking full novel.
The story is great, I just wish there was more to it. -
this was extremely beautifully written. my physical copy of the book is just absolutely ruined with annotations lol. douglas really has a way with words that can take some time to unpack, but once you do it’s incredibly thought provoking.
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Douglass's only work of fiction is decidedly interesting, though the plot is simple. I love the description of Madison Washington as a Black Hercules. The ending is somewhat ambiguous and leaves the reader confused. This book asks us can you be racist & an abolitionist?
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Douglass should have written more fiction. He's good at it.
The contemporary responses, newspaper excerpts, and contextual research included in this edition = a great snapshot of a volatile moment in U.S. history. I learned a TON. -
Imagines the back story up to his major life event of Madison Washington, a leader of the "Creole" mutiny. One of the stories told also the central argument on black sailors and revolution in Fire on the Water by Lenora Warren.
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3.75
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Enjoyed reading this and viewing it in relation to douglas’s non-fiction abolitionist works
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3.5
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Rating 4
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This is an important work in American Literature.
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Not the most nuanced story ever, but interesting for its perspective and historical value. A quick read, so worth the time.
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Pairs well with his autobiography, quick read
