Theatricality in 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass'

This thesis argues the idea of theatricality in the slave narrative Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Douglass's work first developed on the abolitionist lecture circuit as an oral medium. Through the encouragement of his audience and colleagues such as William Lloyd Garrison, Douglass adapted his lectures into the narrative in 1845. Because of the sensitive nature of Douglass's work, a certain level of theatricality was necessary to help Douglass prove his agenda: that slavery is atrocious and perverts all involved. By educating white abolitionists, Douglass hoped to make a change - abolish slavery. My thesis covers different aspects of the narrative and its innate theatrical nature; the tradition and structure of previous slave narratives, how these traditions are upheld in a modern rendering of a slave narrative (Once Enslaved), characterization and its stereotypes, and songs in slave narratives. To further support my argument, the thesis includes a theatrical adaptation entitled Once Enslaved: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a full-length play written by author. The tradition and formulaic nature of slave narratives are undeniable; however, in my thesis I hope to prove that narrative writers, such as Douglass, use elements of theatricality in order to better clarify their agenda and purpose.