The Bondwoman's Narrative is a valuable historical document written in the 1850's that reveals the sad, humiliating, fearful and painful lives of slaves who suffered untold instances inflicted by their cruel, indifferent owners. .
"It tells of a self-educated young house slave who knows her life is limited by the brutalities of her society, but never suspects that the freedom of her plantation's beautiful new mistress is also at risk or that a devastating secret will force them both to flee from slave hunters."(Cover) .
The fact that it offers a glimpse into a shameful part of American history by a voice never before heard makes for an unforgettable reading experience. The voice never heard before came from a female slave supposedly named Hannah Crafts. The novel was written in first person and was said to be the first novel ever written by a female slave.
Hannah Crafts is a very strong character in the novel. Hannah was full of pride, determined, ambitious and very religious. These traits proved to be very useful to her throughout the novel. In the first chapter, the opening of the novel, Hannah quickly states that she is well aware of her deficiencies as a person, she says she is "neither clever, nor learned, nor talented." (5) Hannah knows that the African blood found in her veins "would forever exclude me from the higher walks of life."(6) Hannah, throughout her troubles remained a strong and determined individual. As a child, Hannah was determined to learn how to read, even though it was a crime for slaves to be educated in reading and writing. Her master did not want slaves to get any new ideas. "Education in his view tended to enlarge and expand their ideas; made them less subservient to their superiors, and besides that its blessings were destined to be conferred exclusively to the higher and nobler race.
For example in Hannah Craft's Novel, "The Bondwoman's Narrative," she had to cope with the constant jealousy and distrust of the mistress that more than likely led to more beatings and less privileges. ... For instance, also in "The Bondwoman's Narrative", Hannah's master married a light skin black woman whom he thought was white. ...
