To compare fiction to non-fiction is unfair, but aside from that, Uncle was truly more adventurous. I can also understand why a society, lacking soap opera's and prime time television drama's, would enjoy Uncle so much more and want to believe in it.
Personally, it is hard for me to say what I would have thought of Narrative in 1845. I have always had a strong desire to seek the truth through facts, so it is my belief that I would have read this book and felt compelled to investigate the matter further on my own. Knowing that in this time period slaves were considered illiterate, ignorant and devious, I may have questioned the authenticity of this book, as far as facts are concerned, but would not have dismissed them altogether. I would probably have questioned the actual author of the book, finding it hard to believe that a slave taught himself to read and write so eloquently. Reading this book would have prompted me to attend an abolitionist meeting, at least in an attempt to validate the facts stated therein. Knowing what I know now, in 2003, I wholeheartedly believe Douglass portrayed his life truthfully and without exaggeration in Narrative. .
The main unanswered question, without a doubt, is how did Douglass escape? Perhaps that hurt Douglass" creditability also, as leaving out these details may have seemed that he was lying or trying to hide something. I fully understand his theory that detailing his escape may prevent or hinder the escape of others. He denounces the outspoken "western friends" of the Underground Railroad, believing that " They do nothing towards enlightening the slave, whilst they do much towards enlightening the master." (p. 138) I have since learned, through other sources, that "at the age of twenty, Douglass succeeded in escaping from slavery by impersonating a sailor." (www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html) However, the lack of details regarding his escape does nothing to diminish his compelling story as a slave.