The Heroic Slave

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and racism. 

Madison Washington is the titular hero based on the real-life enslavement ship revolt on the Creole in 1841. Douglass describes him as “tall, symmetrical, round, and strong” (4). He is physically and mentally powerful. The narrator notes that Madison “[i]s just the man you would choose when hardships [a]re to be endured, or danger to be encountered,—intelligent and brave” (4). He is eventually able to overcome obstacles with these qualities. When Mr. Listwell first sees and hears Madison, he is a “sorrow-smitten slave” (5). He laments the cruelty of his enslaver, but he is determined to emancipate himself rather than becoming despondent. This causes Listwell to hold Madison in high regard and aid him in the future.

Madison’s first attempt at The Pursuit of Liberty leads to him hiding in the woods near his wife for five years. He must leave this home when the area burns down and has the opportunity to go to Canada with Listwell’s help. However, he decides to go back for Susan, his wife, demonstrating the importance of love and family to Madison. After Susan is killed, an enslaved gang captures Madison.