The Heroic Slave

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and racism. 

In his depiction of Madison’s journey to self-emancipation, Douglass explores how enslaved people pursued liberty heroically. Madison is determined to succeed and repeats his goal throughout Parts 1 and 2. Black people were denied basic human rights in the Southern states, while some Northerners, like Mr. Listwell, were committed to helping Black people obtain their liberty. However, on the ocean, liberty is the natural state. Madison’s quest is frequently compared to the American Revolution; Douglass connects them to persuade white readers at the time of his writing to become abolitionists.

Madison’s lamentation and prayers that Listwell overhears include declarations about the importance of liberty. He says, “Liberty, the inalienable birthright of every man, precious and priceless, will be mine. My resolution is fixed. I shall be free” (4). He argues that Black and white people all deserve liberty and freedom. Madison illustrates how enslaved people revolt against enslavement. He says, “I am no coward. Liberty I will have, or die in the attempt to gain it” (3). This can be contrasted with Jack Williams’s claims that Black people are “cowards.” Madison is brave and heroic for fighting for his liberty.