Slave Narratives and Captivity in American Literature - Essay Example

Slave Narratives and Captivity Generic templates associated with American literature include narratives such as captivity narrative, autobiography sentimental fiction slave narrative among other types of literature. The authors write narratives with a motivation on matters affecting a particular society either politically or sometimes based on self-ideological concerns. Captivity and slave narratives are very common in the American literature. These forms of narratives are evolving following cases of the segregation that existed between the blacks and the white. They have been used to narrow down the perspective of the whites who feel superior to the black Americans and have helped in abolition of slave and slave trade (Hart and Leininger 45). Benjamin Franklin is among the great narrator’s who accomplished his literature work in his autobiography that he wrote back in 1774. His work represents both autobiography narrative as well captivity narrative.in his writing skills he rethinks of his past and writes down autobiography which he dedicates to his son, who was at presently the governor of New jersey. He salutes ben with a message that he had enjoyed his life and would like to repeat it something. Living is irreversible, therefore, he opts to dedicate this book to his future generations to help the find better ways of living and be grateful to god for the good lives they find ahead. However, he wishes to correct some mistakes made by people whom he had interacted with to help him recollect it. Franklin is the youngest son for five generations in his active ancestry. Ben’s father moved from England to America in 1862, but then he was not yet born. He was born in Boston on January, 1706 as the 15th child out of seventeen. Unlike his brothers, who were being put into custom trade as a custom, ben was taken to a grammar school with hope that he would join the church. His performance excelled and he started dreaming of being a sailor before his dream was cut short by his father who requested him to join his industry in candle and soap making. His literature skills of writing came up during this time when he moved to work with his brother, Josiah at the age of 12. This work opens up his world in writing; he borrowed many books from the library and enjoyed their writing skills while emulating some aspects of the writers such as Bunyan, Marther, and Daniel Defoe. He befriended a writer named John Collins whom he admired in writing literature (Franklin and Woods 67). In addition to these writers, he bought a copy of the Spectator magazine and learnt how to organize his thoughts in writing articles about himself. His brother continued to motivate him too after he had realized his enormous efforts and interests in writing work. Ben is from a humble family and his family is aristocratic this explains why his siblings went to work at earlier ages. He portrays a relevant example of prototypical American to put an American dream in action. He grew up through cycles of hardship and through his diligence in business and writing skills which he learned the hard way. He writes his autobiography to assist his son discover that life is not a bed of roses it comes along with many hardships. (franklin and Woods 45). He thus prepares him to be positive in enduring hardships and overcoming the shortfalls that would befall him. His writing brings out his humorous nature he notes that his father was a clergy and wanted to introduce him to the church so that he could act as a tithe offering through the service he would contribute in the church. He also mentions his gratefulness and gratitude to god for enabling him live a good life yet he did not believe in any religion, but was rather a deity (Franklin and Woods 69). Franklin goes ahead to describe his personal work in achieving virtues of modesty and thrift, he explains that he writes down to do list of virtues to be completed in a day and works on them in mind. However, religion has never been on his mind though he prays daily he mentions the pride virtue to be the hardest thing to overcome in life. He receives letters from different people after he went back to England who congratulates him on his previous work when he wrote persuading people to face life. He later tells a story on how he reconciled with his dying brother (Franklin and Frankfort 56) and (Franklin and Woods 25). He was appointed general assembly clerk and a postmaster, while working in this post he tells thePennsylvania needs a good military body and a better system for higher education. He puts down his appointment for a colonel instead he began plans of developing Pennsylvania by establishing a university, the first American hospital and good roads and streets in London. With the coming French and Indian war Franklin writes on uniting all American colonies though his efforts are not successful, but he manages to help the military group in accessing military supplies from the citizens on credit. The people despise his warnings and subsequently they lose war and Baddock was killed. He receives large chunks of money before the war ends. This grant motivates him to start development on construction of the fort in Pennsylvania for defense against their enemies following his efforts he was honored the title colonel once more, but he dismissed it (Franklin and Woods 67). He has many scientific successes, he works in an electricity experiment with his friends, his ideas are published and this granted him title and a member of Royal society. Luckily, he gets a scholarly fight with along with a colleague, A. Nollet but the people promotes him more (Franklin and Woods 76). Later he leaves for London to help solve conflicts they have with the Pennsylvania assembly that pass laws on taxes. He consults with various friends towards finding a solution, but he swears that he was not going to support laws that treat the proprietors as captives of their land. He meets the proprietors and argues the other side of the attorney general and helps greatly in saving the people from oppression. His autobiography ends with assembly celebrating Franklin over his achievements and they opt to fire Governor Danny. The colonists want to sue him, but they cannot find a way out since he was well connected to the people. Unfortunately, he died before he completed his writing (Franklin and Woods 63). Twelve years, a slave, is a narrative if Northup’s, a citizen of New York having been kidnapped in Washington City and later rescued in 1853.He had been serving in a cotton and sugar plantations in Red River Louisiana. It explores features of the slave narrative with other forms on literature writings been incorporated such as captivity narrative of a slave in the New York. Northup’s was born as free black man in New York he writes a narrative on his kidnapping in Washington city and the subsequent sale into slave. With enough conviction, he decided to risk himself and wrote a letter after twelve years of bondage requesting them to come over and help him be set free. His narrative significantly brings some facts to limelight such as the extensive of the cotton and sugar plantations in Washington and the rampant slavery markets in Louisiana (Northup, Eakin and Logsdon 47). Northup a free Negro was initially a skilled carpenter and a violist. He was approached by two circus strangers while at work which offered him a brief on a well-paying job as a musician along with their travelling circus. Hopefully, he decided to travel with the strangers to Washington without informing his wife who was away at work. Upon arrival, he found himself dragged and bound into a cell of a slave pen. He raised his voice claiming his rights as a free man but his pleases were objected. He was brutally asserted his rights of a free man, beaten up and instructed to shut down over the rights and freedom. He was shipped with other black slaves during their transportation one slave died of smallpox. On their way, he had an encounter sympathetic sailor who agreed to take home a letter to his relatives asking them to make efforts of finding him and rescuing him. Northup’s family was totally unable to rescue him since the letter did not mention his final destination which remained unknown to Northup too (Northup, Eakin and Logsdon 61). On arrival, he was owned by William Prince Lord who ran a Lumber mill later he had other subsequent owners who were less humane than the lord. His carpentry skill helped him in making work easy sometimes this contributed to being treated relatively well. He suffered cruelty and in two occasions he was attacked by a white man from whom he was leased to bad suffered severe reprisals. Later during his salvage he was assigned different roles from cotton picker to hauler to a driver and was promoted to be overseer over other slaves by punishing undesirable behavior (Northup, Eakin and Logsdon 40). One day Northup confided his story to a white carpenter, Samuel Bass of the brutal treatment he receives as a slave. Bass was a Canadian abolishment, who accepted to send him a letter to Northup’s wife back in Saratoga. After a lengthy period, a white shopkeeper facilitated his release by seeking the helping hand of Henry B. Northup who was a white attorney and a powerful politician. The New York state had passed laws to help rescue citizens kidnapped into slavery as well as providing them with essential and basic resources. Varieties of bureaucratic procedures were put in place and measures were taken until Solomon was rescued from the plantations and travelled back to his homeland inSaratoga. He filed allegations charges against the person who had sold him into slavery but the process was unsuccessful (Northup, Eakin and Logsdon 47). The narrative of twelve years a slave expresses the brutality slave’s encounters from their inhumane lords and the plight of captives. This narrative points out sentimental fiction and a legal system that prevents kind owners from treating their slaves well emphasizing on cruel treatment and liabilities. His encounter unleashes political debate on countries that have legalized slave trade leading to the effects of the civil wars over anti-slavery issues. He was among the few freed slaves and his narrative portrays differences between a slave man and a free man and the following relationship between a slave and the lord or master (Frankfort 54). Works Cited Frankfort, Ellen. The Voice: life at the Village voice. New York: Morrow, 1976. Print. Franklin, Benjamin, and Woods ,Labaree. The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964. Print. Hart, James D., and Phillip Leininger. The Oxford companion to American literature. 6th Ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Print. Northup, Solomon, D. Wilson, Frederick M. Coffin, Nathaniel Orr, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Twelve years a slave Narrative of Solomon Northup, a citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River, in Louisiana.. Auburn: Derby and Miller;, 1853. Print. Northup, Solomon, Sue L. Eakin, and Joseph Logsdon. Twelve years a slave. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1968. Print. (Franklin and Frankfort) Read More