Our Nig

I think Harriet Wilson wrote this fictional book for a lot of the same reasons, I stated in my "Importance of Novel Reading" blog. If she would of wrote a simple autobiography or just a historical book it would of been dull and boring to some. By writing it in fiction she creates character that show emotion and people can really get a feel for what the enslaved were going through. As I said in the other blog it is still a history lesson but we get to see it through the eyes of a human being experiencing it face to face. I am not for sure why she wrote it in 3rd person, but my guess is she did not want it to be opinions and thought coming directly from her. Whcih also has to do why it was lost. She was stuck in a time where women could not speak out especially African American women. It was brought back in 1983 after all the major civil rights movements maybe to give her, or African Americans a voice, and let people feel the emotion she went through. I think the story has the gothic background first and formost because the girl is kept in the attic. This is a important feature in many of the gothic novels. Those who are "different" or "crazy" get put in a dungeon or attic secluded from others.