Comparing the Writing of Two Slave Authors

It may seem surprising that there were African-Americans that became authors while slavery was alive and thriving in our country. There were many things that stood in the way for blacks wanting to write in such a time period, one obstacle being the fact that it was unlawful to teach them to read or write, both of which are necessary to become an author. It also was most likely a very difficult journey in pursuing the publishing of a book written by such a people. However, above all the barriers that tried to keep them from their success, Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass were able to become wonderful writers despite their unfavorable situations. Not only that, but they were able to use their experiences as plot for their stories. But what was the purpose of writing their stories? Did they really expect whites of that time period to listen to them? If not, who were they writing to (if you consider the fact that most other slaves could not read)? These may not be questions that we have firm answers to, but what we do know is that their stories were heard, which is always the goal of any author. But what similarities do these two slaves share in their writing style?

One similarity between the two pieces is the way ethos is established. Credibility is a hugely important ingredient in this recipe they were creating. With out a way to establish ethos, no one would have given their writings the time of day. However, both writers established ethos by having white men and women write the preface or introduction to their stories. Without these written openings of the stories, these slaves would have been restricted from publishing their works. Although, whether necessary or not, the idea of having someone else write the preface of their books was a brilliant step in opening up the acceptance of white readers. When Caucasian readers saw that the preface was written by someone else, a white person in fact, it probably made them stop and think. They surely realized that if this Caucasian person thought this story was worth the time then maybe I should give it half a chance as well.

Another similarity that both pieces posses is their purpose. The purpose is also related to who the audience is, though. The audience obviously is not slaves because most slaves, as it was made clear, are unable to read or write. So who exactly are Jacobs and Douglas talking to? In these stories, at this time period in history, Jacobs and Douglas were most likely writing to white people. If that is indeed their audience intention, then their purpose is quite simple, they just wanted to be heard. They wanted people to listen and to stop and think about their actions, and if possible, they wanted to inspire change. After all, in general that's all most writers want, they want to inspire change- make a difference. Their purpose also ties back in with the way the used ethos in their writings. They knew their audience, and how difficult it would be to get through to them, and they also knew what message they wanted to relay. Knowing all these things, it was clear to them that the only way to get people to listen would be to have white people vouch for them, and that is exactly what they did. It is not known for sure if these writings inspired the change they had hoped for, but even today in the 21st century people are still referring to their literary works, and whether that was their intention or not, they were quite successful in this venture.