Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Paperback

by Frederick Douglass (Author), Harriet Jacobs (Author), Kwame Anthony Appiah (Introduction by)

Introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah
Commentary by Jean Fagan Yellin and Margaret Fuller

This Modern Library edition combines two of the most important African American slave narratives--crucial works that each illuminate and inform the other.

Frederick Douglass's Narrative, first published in 1845, is an enlightening and incendiary text. Born into slavery, Douglass became the preeminent spokesman for his people during his life; his narrative is an unparalleled account of the dehumanizing effects of slavery and Douglass's own triumph over it.

Like Douglass, Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery, and in 1861 she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now recognized as the most comprehensive antebellum slave narrative written by a woman. Jacobs's account broke the silence on the exploitation of African American female slaves, and it remains essential reading.

Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide

Front Jacket

This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition combines the two most important African American slave narratives into one volume.
Frederick Douglass's Narrative, first published in 1845, is an enlightening and incendiary text. Born into slavery, Douglass became the preeminent spokesman for his people during his life; his narrative is an unparalleled account of the dehumanizing effects of slavery and Douglass's own triumph over it. Like Douglass, Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery, and in 1861 she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now recognized as the most comprehensive antebellum slave narrative written by a woman. Jacobs's account broke the silence on the exploitation of African American female slaves, and it remains crucial reading. These narratives illuminate and inform each other. This edition includes an incisive Introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah and extensive annotations.

Author Biography

Kwame Anthony Appiah teaches at Princeton University. His works include In My Father's House and Cosmopolitanism.