Category: slave narrative

+ a muslim american slave: the life of omar ibn said, ala alryyes, american colonization society, colonization, Muslim, omar ibn said, slave narrative, slavery
Resistance in Omar ibn Said’s Narrative
In every class, I choose to teach a few new texts that I have never read. Sometimes this will include one texts. Other times it will include more. For this semester, in my multicultural American literature course, I chose two new texts that I had never read before: Hala Alyan’s Salt Houses and Omar ibn Said’s 1831 narrative. I plan to write about each … Read More Resistance in Omar ibn Said’s Narrative

+ african american literature, alice walker, american history, american literature, cult of domesticity, enslaved, harriet jacobs, incidents in the life of a slave girl, slave narrative, the slave's narrative, Trimiko Melancon
Harriet Jacobs’ Challenge to the Cult of True Womanhood
A while back, I wrote a post about the ways that Harriet Jacobs, in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, challenges the Cult of True Womanhood. Specifically, she counters it by showing the ways that society denied her the chance to adhere to the four pillars of the Cult of True Womanhood. Thinking about this some more, I want to briefly look … Read More Harriet Jacobs’ Challenge to the Cult of True Womanhood

+ african american literature, american literature, comics, early american literature, enslaved, graphic novels, kyle baker, literacy, nat turner, neo-slave narrative, slave narrative, slavery, the confessions of nat turner
Literacy in Kyle Baker’s “Nat Turner”
In his preface to the graphic novel Nat Turner, Kyle Baker talks about his reasons for wanting to tell Turner’s story through the medium of comics. He states hat “[c]omic books/graphic novels are a visual medium, so it’s important to choose a subject with opportunities for compelling graphics.” The story of Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831 provides just that opportunity. More importantly, Baker wanted … Read More Literacy in Kyle Baker’s “Nat Turner”

+ african american literature, american literature, early american literature, enslaved, frederick douglass, narrative, slave narrative, slavery, southern literature, the slave's narrative, what to the slave is the fourth of july?
Frederick Douglass’ Rhetorical Rebuttals of Stereotypes
Over the past couple of semesters, I have taught Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? instead of teaching his narrative. I do this for a couple of reasons. One, I assign Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave, and during discussions about Northup, I bring in Douglass’ narrative and Harriett Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl because … Read More Frederick Douglass’ Rhetorical Rebuttals of Stereotypes
+ african american literature, american literature, early american literature, louisiana literature, mixtape, music, Pedagogy, slave narrative, solomon northup, soundtrack, southern literature, twelve years a slave
Soundtrack Assignment in the Literature Classroom
Every semester I try something new in the classroom. Sometimes this may involve adding activities such as the fish bowl, working in the archives, or having students write on the board to generate ideas. I take these ideas and tweak them as I go along because, as we know, every class is not the same. What works in one class may not necessarily work … Read More Soundtrack Assignment in the Literature Classroom