Witnessing Slavery by Frances Smith Foster
This study of pre-Civil War American slave autobiography appears here in a new edition. It represents slave narratives as literary in the complete sense of the word, and also calls attention to gender in the narratives.
“An important, seminal work. . . Frances Smith Foster has created a masterful account and interpretation of the earliest black and black-related literature. . . . It can and should be read by any general reader, black or otherwise, who is interested or concerned with the painful but exhilarating struggle of a people searching for not only freedom, but identity and humanity.” —William J. Teague, Journal of Negro History
“Foster does not forget that her slave narratives are literature. But, also, she does not forget the culture outside the narratives. . . . She is, of course, at pains to demonstrate how, and how much, the two were interactive. . . . An excellent general introduction.” —Blyden Jackson, American Literature
“Witnessing Slavery is a classic work: it identifies pattern, explains cause, suggests implications. The kernel of its thesis, that black writers have been constrained by the attitudes of white publishers and audiences, is axiomatic in the study of Afro-American literature. . . . Its achievement is that it demonstrates in concrete and convincing detail how these principles function, while illuminating the literary qualities of a body of literature generally considered to lack them.” —Susan L. Blake, Black American Literature Forum
“Foster does not forget that her slave narratives are literature. But, also, she does not forget the culture outside the narratives. . . . She is, of course, at pains to demonstrate how, and how much, the two were interactive. . . . An excellent general introduction.” —Blyden Jackson, American Literature
“Witnessing Slavery is a classic work: it identifies pattern, explains cause, suggests implications. The kernel of its thesis, that black writers have been constrained by the attitudes of white publishers and audiences, is axiomatic in the study of Afro-American literature. . . . Its achievement is that it demonstrates in concrete and convincing detail how these principles function, while illuminating the literary qualities of a body of literature generally considered to lack them.” —Susan L. Blake, Black American Literature Forum
Frances Smith Foster is professor of literature at the University of California, San Diego, and the author of many books and articles on African American history and issues.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780299142148 |
| ISBN 10 | 0299142140 |
| Title | Witnessing Slavery |
| Author | Frances Smith Foster |
| Series | Wisconsin Studies In American Autobiography |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | University of Wisconsin Press |
| Year published | 1994-04-30 |
| Number of pages | 200 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |