The Heroic Slave (1852) is a novella by Frederick Douglass.
Although he is more frequently recognized as prominent orator and
autobiographer who spearheaded the American abolitionist movement,
Douglass published one work of fiction in his lifetime. Inspired by
the 1841 Creole case, in which an enslaved cook and a crew of
nineteen fellow-slaves led a rebellion onboard a ship bound from
Virginia to New Orleans, The Heroic Slave seeks to highlight the
bravery and autonomy of fugitives and revolutionaries who did what
they could to help themselves in the absence of help from their
country. Sitting down for dinner, Mr. Listwell, a white southerner,
is interrupted by a knock at the door. He opens it to find Madison
Washington, a fugitive slave who disappeared without a trace five
years prior. Hesitant at first, Listwell agrees to hear the man
out, and learns that rather than escape to the north, Washington
remained behind to be near his wife and children, hiding in the
wilderness the whole time. Moved by his tragic story, Listwell
provides him clothes and supplies, and encourages him to head for
Canada. Sometime later, he sees a slave gang headed for market, and
identifies Washington in chains. Before they part ways once more,
perhaps forever, Listwell purchases a set of files and manages to
get them to Washington, who remains determined to fight for his
freedom until the bitter end. With a beautifully designed cover and
professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Frederick
Douglass' The Heroic Slave is a classic of African American
literature reimagined for modern readers.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!