Clotel
William Wells Brown, 1853
The first novel by an African American, a slave narrative that follows the daughters of Thomas Jefferson as they are sold, separated, and hunted across the American South.
William Wells Brown
1814–1884
Brown was born into slavery in Kentucky, escaped in 1834, and became a celebrated abolitionist lecturer in America and Britain. Clotel was first published in London, not the US.
Feels like defiance, freedom and society.
The price of a woman's virtue, rising bid by bid.
“Ah; gentlemen, that is something like. This paper also states that she is very intelligent.” “Eight hundred.” “She is a devoted Christian, and perfectly trustworthy.” “Nine hundred.” “Nine fifty.” “Ten.” “Eleven.” “Twelve hundred.” Here the sale came to a dead stand. The auctioneer stopped, looked around, and began in a rough manner to relate some anecdotes relative to the sale of slaves, which, he said, had come under his own observation. At this juncture the scene was indeed strange. Laughing, joking, swearing, smoking, spitting, and talking kept up a continual hum and noise amongst the crowd; while the slave-girl stood with tears in her eyes, at one time looking towards her mother and sister, and at another towards the young man whom she hoped would become her purchaser. “The chastity of this girl is pure; she has never been from under her mother’s care; she is a virtuous creature.” Books by William Wells Brown
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