The Bondwoman's Narrative -- Annotated Article Citations -- Blog Post Three

Baym, Nina. “The Case for Hannah Vincent.” In Search of Hannah Crafts: Critical Essays on
           
            the Bondwoman’s Narrative. Eds. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Hollis Robbins. New

            York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004. 315-331. Print.

In her article, Baym argues that Hannah Vincent, a free black woman who lived in New Jersey, is the most probable author of the narrative. She discusses her reasoning for such a contention and further addresses any issues that would arise if Vincent was, in fact, the author. Baym argues that the idea of the narrative being written by an ex-slave is highly unlikely because of the author’s use of “literary conventions.” However, Baym does not rule out the possibility of the work being written by a fugitive slave.


Bruce, Jr. Dickson D. “Mrs. Henry’s ‘Solemn Promise’ in Historical Perspective.” In Search

            of  Hannah Crafts: Critical Essays on the Bondwoman’s Narrative. Eds. Henry Louis

            Gates, Jr. and Hollis Robbins. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004. 129-144. Print.

In his article, Bruce discusses the “solemn promise” Mrs. Henry [a character in the novel] made to her father on his deathbed: a promise never to buy of sell a human being. This promise prevents Mrs. Henry from purchasing Hannah, even though she wishes to save her from the horrors of slavery. Bruce’s article serves to contextualize the significance of this promise in the time period that the novel was written. According to Bruce, Hannah’s inclusion of this promise in her story serves as a critique of a “rule governed approach to morality” which can lead to “moral blindness.” Furthermore, it indicates that Crafts was either personally familiar with the abolitionist movement [that rejected “legalism] or had read texts published by abolitionists.


Yellin, Jean Fagan. “The Bondwoman’s Narrative and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” In Search

             of Hannah Crafts: Critical Essays on the Bondwoman’s Narrative. Eds. Henry Louis
            
             Gates, Jr. and Hollis Robbins. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004. 106-116. Print.

In her article, Fagan Yellin compares and contrasts the similarities of The Bondwoman’s Narrative to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. According to Fagan Yellin, both authors make use of gothic imagery and the trope of the “Tragic Mulatto” character. However, she argues that the stories present “very different statements about slavery and racism in nineteenth century America.” Fagan Yellin’s purpose in writing the article is to describe the how Stowe’s novel shaped The Bondwoman’s Narrative, both in the way it copies the conventions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and in the ways it differs from the novel.