31 pages • 1 hour read
Harriet E. WilsonOur Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1859A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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What is the significance behind the author’s decision to use “Our Nig” in the title of her autobiographical novel, especially given the Bellmonts’ racialized and derogatory use of the term in reference to Frado?
Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black opens with the story of Mag Smith, Frado’s mother. What is the significance of opening an autobiographical novel with a white mother figure? How does this opening impact the reader’s interpretation of Frado’s circumstances?
Frado’s mixed-race identity incites other people’s racial prejudices, while her light complexion offers her some privileges that a darker-skinned black person would not be typically afforded. What are some examples of Frado’s experiences that demonstrate the contradictions behind society’s treatment of her mixed-race identity?
While Mrs. Bellmont and Mary are portrayed as the main abusers among the Bellmonts, to what extent is the rest of the family also complicit in Frado’s suffering as bystanders?
After James’s passing, Frado experiences grief so intense that she desires to end her own life. What accounts for Frado’s deep mourning of James? What does his death signal for Frado?
What is the role of spiritual education in Frado’s transformation? How does Frado’s spiritual and personal life evolve through the intervention of friends and allies?
Although Frado is a black person in a free state, her indentured servitude to the Bellmonts begins to resemble the conditions of enslavement. What accounts for this treatment of Frado? What does the narrative of Frado’s treatment express about the differences between indentured servitude and enslavement?
Frado eventually gains the courage to defend herself when Mrs. Bellmont readies to strike her. What are the factors leading up to this moment of independence? What changes for Frado in order for her to finally stand up for herself?
Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black draws on many styles and tropes from the genre of the sentimental novel that was popular during the time of the autobiographical novel’s publication. How much does this autobiographical novel rely on the conventions of this popular genre? At which points does the novel deviate from this genre?
In the final sentence of Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, Wilson writes that “she will never cease to track them till beyond mortal vision” (72). In this reference to the act and power of writing, why might Wilson profess to “track” the people whom have caused her much suffering in her life? What does this act enable for Wilson?
