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African-American Literature
In literature the relationship between the text and paratext is used to introduce the reader to the subject and setting of novel. As the paratext, is utilized to inform and influence their minds before they have started reading the actual book. In African-American literature before the Civil War, this was a standard way publishers used to provide some kind of insights about what people were reading. To fully understand how this is taking place requires comparing the use of this technique in The Confession of Nate Turner to the Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. Once this takes place, it will offer specific insights as to how the paratext is used to influence the readers.
The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas
In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, Lloyd Garrison has written in the paratext. Inside, he discusses meeting Douglas in 1841 and how he came to see that the idea of slavery was wrong based upon his association with him. This helped him to change his views about: what this means to society and on the issue of the abolishing the practice. Once this occurred is when Garrison would become against slavery itself. Evidence of this can be seen with comments that he is making at the end of the prologue with him saying, "Be faithful, be vigilant, be untiring in your efforts to break every yoke and let the opposed go free. No compromise with slavery. No union with slaveholders."...
Once this occurs, is when they will understand the subject matter and the underlying theme. This is the point that readers of the time would assume that the author is taking more of a radical view (based on the fact that the paratext is embracing this tone). (Douglas, 1845, pg. 10)
This is different from the views of Douglass, as he is trying to tell about the horrors of slavery from the actual events that he witnessed. A good example of this can be seen with him talking about how his father is white and his mother was a slave. As Douglass, never knew her and witnessed how this practice was common throughout the region that he grew up in. The reason why is because, this helped to allow the slave master have even greater amounts of control over their female slaves. Commenting about this practice Douglass observed, "The children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers. This is done to administer to their own lusts, make a gratification of their wicked desires profitable and pleasurable. For this cunning arrangement, the slaveholder sustains the double relation of master and father." (Douglas, 1845, pg. 18) This is significant, because it is showing the brutality that institution of slavery has created. When you compare this with the paratext, Douglass is taking a more graphic view of highlighting why slavery is wrong. Thus is different from the beliefs of Garrison, by showing how this tradition continues with no one questioning its legitimacy. As a result, the paratext is highlighting how the novel is taking anti-slavery…
Bibliography
Douglas, F. (1845). Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. Staten Island, NY: Forgotten Books.
Gray, T. (1856). The Confessions of Nat Turner. Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp (pp. 338 -- 347). Boston, MA: Crossman and Willet.
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