Final Take on "The Heroic Slave"

The final statement at the end of the novel sums up the intended characterization of the protagonist: “they deliberately gathered up their baggage …under the triumphant leadership of their heroic chief and deliverer, MADISION WASHINGTON” (pg 51). What gives Madison Washington the air of an important figure is his effect on others. The other slaves view him as not only a leader but also as a means of achieving freedom, which was the overarching goal from the beginning. I don’t think the question is whether or not the story is believable as much as it is the symbolic representation of hope for others in the same situation, if however, they were lucky enough to hear of it or be able to read it. The reference to Washington as a deliverer also likens him to a god-like figure. The comparison makes him seem as if he alone was solely resposible for the events that led up to each man being able to walk free. It gives him an untouchable characteristic, which could contribute to the unrealistic aspect that others are reading from the story.
Washington’s status as well as his story seems to parallel that of Frederick Douglass’. They both are important figures to those they inspire and they both are working for freedom, although their methods may differ slightly. The coincidence that they both encounter the sea at some point in their life, Douglass when he travels to New York as a sailor and Washington when he takes over the ship, reinforces the idea of the sea being a common theme in antebellum literature about slavery. For both men, it was a means of achieving freedom.