Summary:
Mary Rowlandson's captivity narrative and Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass' slave narratives all were best sellers in their time. These narratives continue to appeal to readers today because they are success stories about overcoming extreme hardship.
Mary Rowlandson, Harriet Jacobs, and Frederick Douglas wrote narratives of the lives in captivity and oppression. The stories were bestsellers in their times, but why do they continue to appeal to the masses now? People will always be intrigued in reading stories about of hardships, death, heroism, and freedom which is why these narratives are still so popular today.
Mary Rowlandson was held captive for about three months. Her story about her Indian captivity was full of adventure and heroism that appealed to everyone even the women. It became an important piece of the American Indian history.
Harriet Jacobs's narrative of how life was for a female slave appealed not only to the people against slavery, but to all women then, and now.
The reason it appeals to women is because of the struggles of a woman back when life was hard enough as a woman period. Then to overcome obstacles the way she did it puts her in almost a heroin light.
Jacobs's owner sexually threatened day in and day out what else could she do, but hide in dark, cold, and dirty hole for seven years before she could escape to North to free herself from the chains of slavery.
Frederick Douglas wrote about how excruciatingly hard it was for slave it was, and the abuse they all had to endure from exhaustion, malnutrition, and whippings. Harriet Jacobs's life was like heaven compared to what plantation slaves had to deal with. Life for him was hard, but he did what he had to free himself and escape to New Bedford.
In conclusion, each one of these people had to overcome physical, emotional, mental hardships to survive long enough to gain their freedom. They are success stories about how if you want something bad enough the only thing holding you back from achieving it is yourself.
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