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The Escape; Or, A Leap For Freedom: A Drama, in Five Acts cover

The Escape; Or, A Leap For Freedom: A Drama, in Five Acts

By William Wells Brown
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American LiteraturePlays/Films/Dramas

About This Book

A five-act drama portrays the daily realities and moral contradictions of chattel slavery by juxtaposing the selfish pretensions and commercial calculations of slaveholders and speculators with the resilience and suffering of enslaved people. Through household and plantation scenes it dramatizes forced labor, overseer brutality, a formalized marriage ritual within the slave system, and sexual tensions surrounding enslaved women, while following an enslaved couple’s determined bid for freedom. The work combines melodramatic incidents and moral argument rooted in lived experience, culminating in an escape attempt that exposes divided loyalties and systemic violence.

About the Author

Brown, William Wells portrait

William Wells Brown

William Wells Brown was a prominent African American author, abolitionist, and lecturer in the 19th century. Born into slavery, he escaped and became a leading voice in the fight against slavery. His notable works include "Clotel; Or, The President's Daughter," which is recognized as the first novel published by an African American. Brown's writings often explored themes of race, identity, and the struggle for freedom, contributing significantly to American literature and the abolitionist movement. He also authored autobiographical narratives detailing his experiences as a fugitive slave, as well as works advocating for the rights and achievements of Black Americans.

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