Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Conference on Economics & Social Sciences 10th, Bucuresti, Romanya, 26 - 27 Haziran 2023, ss.95-96
Between 1820 and 1860, African Americans produced thousands of autobiographical texts, detailing the atrocities of the co-called institution of slavery experienced particularly in the deep South. With the ultimate political goal of the abolition of slavery, this new authentic genre came to be known as the ‘Slave Narrative,’ providing the humanistic arguments for the white Abolitionists, while displaying at large the intellectual prowess and artistry of the people of African lineage, shared indeed by all sentient beings. With a three-staged formulaic pattern, the slave narrative commences with the childhood of the narrator, detailing the gruesome experiences of the narrator both as an eyewitness to and also as the victim of slavery; moving next to the narrator’s inconceivable escape from bondage towards the free-states in the north; and ultimately, concluding with the narrator’s participating in and dedication to the Abolitionist Movement. To create the deepest impact in the hearts and minds of the American people, the creators of slave narratives must therefore have striking rhetorical powers and oratory skills to address the public in a series of Abolitionist conventions; and an excellent craftsmanship in the written language both to transmit the message and also to be included in American belles letters. Amongst the innumerable producers of such texts, one name stands out both as a superior writer and a historical person of monumental importance: Frederick Douglass.
The present study examines the first edition of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845), to argue that Douglass’s written text has been influenced and imbued with the vernacular tradition of ‘Black’ sermon, both in terms of content and form. Hence, the present study begins with providing the ample characteristics of the African American sermon tradition to draw out its parallelism with Douglass’s written text with the requisite selected scenes and a stylistic analysis of the text. With its grave political message against American establishment during the turbulent times of slavery, the text was obviously intended to be published to reach its most extensive audience. On the other hand, to ‘convert’ the conscience of the public, the text draws its rhetorical power from the religious context. Consequently, the present study concludes with the argument that an expert orator and as a adept writer of political consciousness, Douglass successfully grounds his argument against slavery by juxtaposing his ‘worldly’ goals with his ‘otherworldly’ sentiments, creating in the end an inspiring conversion narrative with strong political leanings.
Keywords: African American literature, Frederick Douglass, slave narrative, sermon tradition, political manifesto.