Introduction 

The slave narrative was a large part of the abolitionist movement in the 19th century. These narratives were authored by both enslaved and free Black men and women as a means of empowerment which worked to combat white oppression through the virtue of Black literature. This sought to challenge the dehumanization of Black people by white slave owners. The rhetoric used in slave narratives was heavily influenced by the status of their respective authors as shown by Chloe Russell and David Walker's vastly different rhetoric on domesticity and marriage.

Chloe Russell 

Chloe Russell’s identity remains in question to this day. Eric Gardner’ was able to determine that a Black woman named Chloe Russell existed during The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book’s publication in the 1820s.¹ Gardner raises the possibility of the name being an invention or appropriated name “by a publisher hoping to capitalize on the stereotype of the African American fortune teller.”² Regardless, Gardner notes the existence of records dating between 1831-33 of a “free person of color” by the name of Chloe Russell whose timeline can be traced in historical directories. Russell was a widowed woman supporting a family of at least three children, which relates to her book’s emphasis on marriage and domesticity.

David Walker 

David Walker (1785-1830) was among the most known of the African American authors protesting for Black rights during the 19th century. His militant approach to anti-slavery in his Appeal in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World marked him as one of the most outspoken advocates of violent movement. Walker, born to an enslaved father and free mother, was a free Black man yet witnessed first-hand the “peculiar institution” of slavery in the and injustice of Black people while growing up in the cities of Wilmington and Charleston in South Carolina. Walker lived in Boston from 1825 onwards and was inducted into the first Black masonic lodge in North America. Walker’s appeal, published during the years 1829-30, was greatly influenced by his involvement with Christianity, making use of religion to call for racial justice. 

Rhetoric of Marriage and Domesticity in the Form of Prophecy 

“Thus, the patriarchal institution of marriage was not considered any different than the institution of slavery.”³ 

Most  Black households lived in poverty, with few women having the fortune of marrying into economic stability.⁴ Chloe Russell uses The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book to provide an authoritative female voice choosing to adapt to feminine ideals as opposed to defying it like women such as Maria Stewart. Her writing gives  Black women advice for an ideal partner in the form of prophecy and fortune-telling, appealing towards a Black female readership. The invoking of African mysticism gives Russell the role of a matchmaker and strengthens her authority over the reader through her text.

"Of Moles" 

“Of Moles'' is one of Chloe Russell’s many poems within her novel. The focus on ‘moles’ or beauty marks as a means of divination is unfamiliar to American women. Notably, the poem is aimed towards men as well shown from the line: “A mole on either ancle, denotes a man to be effeminate; a woman courageous,”suggesting that women were not only advised to recognize their own fortune but also find the same in their partner.⁷

From David Walker’s Appeal in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World 

“My dearly beloved Brethren and Fellow Citizens.”⁸ 

David Walker’s slave narrative portrays him as an  abolitionist whose  critical of the racial injustice of 19th century America. Walker greatly opposes all aspects of the American social system, including marriage. Walker expresses his authority through his precise use of rhetoric. His aggressive language and style of punctuation intensifies the heated emotion of his writing, expressing his anger at the injustice he perceives towards his people. Marcy J. Dinius draws attention to the typography of the appeal, emphasizing seemingly minor aspects such as the heavy exclamation used for emphasis, a visual which draws attention to specific forms of injustice, and as a form of victory on the written page:

Endnotes