Clotel

How does Brown define true Christianity? How is Christianity manipulated, and for what purpose?

Clotel follows the story not only of Clotel herself but also of Currer, Althesa, and Mary. Why is the book called Clotel? Why does the book not end with Clotel’s death?

Compare and contrast Henry Morton with Horatio Green and Georgiana Peck with Gertrude Green. How do the former show strength, and how do the latter show weakness? What are the effects of this strength and weakness on others and on the institution of slavery?

Considering Mr. Peck, Georgiana, Mr. Crawford, and Henry Morton, discuss the American North and South as presented in the novel. Are Northerners more likely to be open-minded? Are they more likely to condemn slavery? What does Brown say about freed slaves’ treatment in the North?

How does Brown establish himself as a credible storyteller? Consider his narrative and the story itself.

Why might Brown have chosen to write a story about Thomas Jefferson’s daughter? What is the effect of his frequent references to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence, and the Revolutionary War?

What is the effect of Brown’s vivid descriptions of family separations and of sexual exploitation? How might he use these descriptions to appeal to 19th-century Christian readers?

Brown describes how slave owners dehumanize and infantilize the slaves in order to subordinate them. Explain how the slaves demonstrate that they are often, in fact, more perceptive and godly than the slave owners themselves.