Realism in Black Art and Literature

There are many distinguishing characteristics regarding realism in both art and literature among African-Americans, and this is evidenced most strongly in the slave narrative. These narratives discussed the personal experiences of those that had escaped from slavery in the south and made their way to the north where they were relatively safe. In the nineteenth century and also into the twentieth century the slave narratives were a serious African-American tradition. Nat Turner's "Confessions of Nat Turner," and Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," both written in the 1800s, were early examples of the slave narrative. These narratives were so popular due in part to the fact that they were so realistic and graphic scenes of violence, pain, and degradation were not that uncommon throughout many of the stories. The slave narrative also worked toward humanitarianism by trying to get the sympathy of readers and by showing the religious ideas in a traditional Christian sense. Religion was very important to many of the slaves during that time, and the religious sense that many Caucasian people had in the north also helped to contribute to the plight of the African-American slave at that time. Important to note as well is that the slave narratives had many things in common with the captivity narrative. In general, those that create slave narratives suffer from being in a society that they consider alien, try to balance the desire for freedom against the danger of trying to escape, and grow both spiritually and morally as a result of the torment and the suffering that they have had to go through. This helps to provide the realism that slave narratives possess, and this realism is also showcased in much of the artwork that comes from that time period where African-Americans and slavery are concerned. Because of the realism that is seen in these slave narratives they were immensely popular during the time that they were written, and they often remain popular with schools and other groups today.