Hannah Crafts and the Bondwoman

"It tells of a self-educated young house slave who knows her life is limited by the brutalities of her society, but never suspects that the freedom of her plantation's beautiful new mistress is also at risk or that a devastating secret will force them both to flee from slave hunters."(Cover)

The fact that it offers a glimpse into a shameful part of American history by a voice never before heard makes for an unforgettable reading experience. The voice never heard before came from a female slave supposedly named Hannah Crafts. The novel was written in first person and was said to be the first novel ever written by a female slave.

Hannah Crafts is a very strong character in the novel. Hannah was full of pride, determined, ambitious and ver

"They regarded me curiously as I entered, grinned with malicious satisfaction that I had been brought down to their level, and made some remarks at my expense; while the children kicked, and yelled, and clawed each other, scratching each other's faces, and pulling each other's hair I stumbled to a bench I supposed designed for a seat, when one of the woman arose, seized me by the hair, and without ceremony dragged me to the ground, gave me a furious kick and made use of highly improper and indecent language." (209)

Hannah religious beliefs helped keep her strong throughout the novel. Hannah always called on God and prayer to keep her strong in difficult times. When Hannah was thrown from the carriage and Mrs. Henry asked her if she ever prayed Hannah replied "I try to, Madam. A prayer was on my lips, and in my heart at the moment of that fearful fall." (117) Earlier, as Hannah and her mistress sat in jail with rats gnawing on her body, Hannah recited Scripture which "strengthened and supported me. Then I thought of the Saviour and his agony and drew comfort from the assurances of his dying love." (80) Hannah constantly called on God to assist her in troubling situations as well as to calm her nerves as she does when she receives advice from Mr. Trappe. "Though this advice was probably well adapted to one in my condition, that is if I could have forgotten God, truth, honesty…"(108) God and her religious beliefs were the basis of Hannah strength throughout the novel.

Hannah was a very prideful individual and this was well pointed out in the end of her novel at the point of her escape. Hannah refused to be a field slave. She was a house slave for all of her life and now she was being punished for something she did not do by Mrs. Wheeler who was a very mean and vain person. Hannah was being made into a field slave and also being forced into marriage to another field slave. Hannah felt marriage and "its responsibilities c

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