Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself by William Wells Brown
The "Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself" by William Wells Brown presents a powerful account of the author’s journey from slavery to freedom, challenging the prevailing beliefs of his time regarding the identity and personhood of enslaved individuals. This autobiography asserts Brown’s autonomy and explores the complex interplay between personal freedom and familial ties. As a young boy on a Kentucky plantation, he confronts the erasure of his identity, exemplified by his forced name change. His flight to freedom not only signifies a quest for liberty but also a search for self-definition, as he adopts the surname of a compassionate Quaker who aids him.
Brown's narrative is infused with both hope and sorrow, reflecting on the pain of leaving behind family members who remain enslaved. His experiences highlight the emotional toll of seeking personal freedom amid the harsh realities of slavery, including the traumatic memories of his mother and sister's conditions. Furthermore, Brown critiques the contradictions of American democracy, using his story to comment on the broader societal issues concerning race and freedom. Through his words, he crafts a poignant examination of American identity, making his narrative a vital contribution to the understanding of slavery and its enduring impact on individuals and society.
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Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself by William Wells Brown
First published: 1847
The Work
In his slave narrative, William Wells Brown assailed the prevailing notion of his time that slaves lacked legal or historical selfhood. His autobiography asserts that he has an autonomous identity. The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself, like many of the stories written by former slaves, does more than chronicle a journey from bondage to freedom. The work also reveals the ways in which the former slave author writes a sense of self, denied by the South’s peculiar institution, into existence.
So great was slavery’s disregard of black personhood that William, as a boy on a Kentucky plantation, is forced to change his name when his master’s nephew, also named William, comes to live as part of the white household. Brown never forgets this insult. He writes of his flight across the Mason-Dixon line: “So I was not only hunting for my liberty, but also hunting for a name.” He finds a name by accepting as his surname that of an Ohio Quaker, Wells Brown, who gives him food and shelter during his escape. He also insists on retaining his first name, showing that his conception of freedom includes the ability to define, shape, and control one’s own identity.
Brown is careful to record that his achievement of an unfettered identity is not without its tragic consequences. His personal freedom is undercut by reminders that his mother and siblings remain enslaved. When an escape undertaken in 1833 with his mother fails, his mother is sent to the Deep South, and Brown temporarily gives up his plans of liberty. His repeated sorrowful musings about his mother and sister suggest that Brown’s freedom and self-definition are processes infused not only with hope and triumph but also with alienation and loss. His statement that “the fact that I was a freeman . . . made me feel that I was not myself” registers his ambivalence at forever leaving his family to find liberty.
Although his purpose is at times weakened by a tragic family history that includes memories of his sister’s sale and visions of his mother performing hard labor on a cotton plantation, his understanding of national history lends resolve and determination to his quest. His thoughts of “democratic whips” and “republican chains” work to expose the severe contradictions that haunt the United States and reinforce his decision to risk becoming a fugitive once again in an attempt to reach Canada. In this way, Brown’s personal narrative functions as national criticism. His narrative is an American autobiography and an unflinching examination of America.
Bibliography
Andrews, William L. To Tell a Free Story: The First Century of Afro-American Autobiography, 1760-1865. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 1986.
Davis, Charles T., and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Slave’s Narrative. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Farrison, William Edward. William Wells Brown: Author and Reformer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969.