The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hanna Crafts and Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a story based on the manuscript of a fugitive slave, supported by extensive research of African American history and literature combined with the manuscript the life of a slave in the 1800’s. By showing the economic and social aspects of life in that time period, the author introduced the reader to a different view point to further educate the reader of the details of what a typical life of a slave was like while making personal connections with the characters. Gates bid on the manuscript in 2001, which turned out to be the first known novel written by an African American woman who had been a slave. The introduction written by Professor Gates did a good job of preparing the reader for the history involved in the book, helping to further the educational benefits of the text. It showed his extensive research to a point where the reader knew exactly what the book was going to be about. Although in taking that approach, it might have hindered further reading because of the loss of mystery. The journey through the book expressed highs and lows for a life that was filled with uncertainty. All that Hannah had to look forward to was a life of freedom, which was hard to come by. But her faith and determination got her to achieve that goal of which she had dreamed about throughout. Starting from a menial life as a slave, learning what she could and could not do and trying to learn as much as she could under the radar while working towards a life of freedom.
In childhood Hannah admits to having no family to raise her, which was the start of an early quest to find her mother. She is aware of her skin tone and that it
will hinder her from ever being a part of the “higher walks of life” (p.6). From
an early age she wanted to learn anything she possibly could, very curious to how things and intuitive to the fact that it took some kind of an education to be smart. She met Aunt Hetty, a white woman who was a very important person in
Hannah’s intellectual growth, who taught her how to read from the Bible even though it was illegal to teach a slave how to read. This in turn also started a very deep rooted faith in God for Hannah as she used what Aunt Hetty had taught her about scripture in her life and especially in the most trying times.
With the coming of a bride for her master, Hannah learned very quickly that
something was not right with her mistress. She learned her history and particulars from Lizzy, a more educated slave who also had a very pale skin
complexion. With the beautiful bride came a very odd guest, who lingered much longer than he should have. The mystery of Mr. Trappe intrigued all, but it was Hannah who happened to overhear the details of situation the bride was in. Trappe was blackmailing the bride which was causing her great pain. Trying to help Hannah proposed fleeing for the river, seeking freedom. The fled into the darkness and got mixed up on directions, after spending six months or so lost and alone they were found and returned to Trappe. During their time away, their world back home fell apart because of the death of the Master. After returning to the hands of Trappe, Hannah’s mistress died, leaving her all alone again. All of the turmoil she went through with her mistress was painful because she went from being treated very kindly as a house slave to living a runaway life with her mistress. The experience hardened her and made her grow stronger as a person,
while it also taught her that it wasn’t as easy as she thought to get away
from her life. She started her journey again to a new master, who died in
traveling with her. After she was in the accident with her master she came upon a life of luxury for someone in her position. As a slave she was never treated with so much kindness and respect from white people. The kind Henry family took care of her and nursed her back to health. They were upstanding people and on their farm their slaves were treated as family. They did the work but they weren’t sold or bought as the Henry’s didn’t believe in the practice. Hannah lived well there; she experienced what it meant to be treated equally by white people. But because they weren’t the owners of her, they contacted the right people and she was to be picked up soon, which was postponed indefinitely after a family illness. It was when she was bought by the Wheelers when she felt totally alone. Hannah was discriminated against by the other house slaves upon returning from traveling with them, mistreated by Mrs. Wheeler and then sent to work in the field. Her feelings about being sent to the field were fired up because she held them at a
lower standard slave than herself, showing that even in the community of slaves there was a caste system at play. She was about to be forced to marry a field slave when she ran away. It was easy for her to get away because she told the field
slaves she was going back to the house, and the house thought she was out in the fields.
Her journey to freedom consisted of her disguised as a male and many nights in the forest and survival of the fittest. Hannah was determined to find freedom and was heading North, with a correct sense of direction. She ran into Aunt Hetty again, after she was injured in a boat she stole. It was Aunt Hetty who took care of her and nursed her back to health, and gave her money to travel with along with female clothes to wear. She felt at home here, like her prayers were answered. Her fear of being caught was long behind her but her fear of the unknown is what scared her the most. Not knowing what was in store for her beyond Aunt Hetty’s safe walls was terrifying. On the steamboat riding away from
her friend, Hannah heard of a most terrible assassination of a man whose slaves killed him and ran off, turned out to be Mr. Trappe one of Hannah’s enemies. In this chapter I felt that Hannah acquired a sense of Karma finally working on her side. She hated Mr. Trappe and the man he was. Freedom was finally her destination; with much help along her journey North Hannah ends by telling readers she lives a free and happy life. Residing in a cottage she teaches a school
for black children. She also finds her mother in the Free State, and they now live
together after all those years of being separated. She achieved her goals and ended on a light note, after all the turmoil she went through in the end it was all part of the journey. She executed her life long plan to become free and independent and find happiness. She overcame the obstacles that blocked her way and from that she achieved her dream.
This book encourages the reader to look at a specific past to see how we as a people have grown and to see into the wickedness of the past. The author’s purpose was to educate the reader by telling her story and I believe that was achieved. By reading this book I have obtained knowledge that I couldn’t even imagined before about the life and inner thoughts of a slave. History teaches you of this time period and the struggles that were a result of it, but it does not give you a personal view, it doesn’t give a connection that readers can grasp. This book did exactly that, I connected with the author and her struggles throughout the book, which gave me more knowledge on the subject of slavery. I would recommend this book to an audience that is interested in history or about this topic specifically because the book will definitely keep them reading and will teach them about things they hadn’t before thought about.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African American Research.
He is currently working at Harvard University teaching two courses on African American Studies.
The author of several books he is also editor-in-chief of TheRoot.com a daily online magazine focusing on issues of interest to the African American community and written from an African American Perspective.
He is co-editor of Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and American Experience.
He has taught at Yale Cornell and Duke and has earned over 50 honorary degrees along with many grants.
The Bondwoman’s Narrative
by Hannah Crafts and Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Published by Warner Books Inc. in New York 2002.
ISBN: 0-446-53008-5
336 pages
Price: $23.70 hardback
$14.20 paperback -reprint
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