The Life of John Thompson

When reading the narratives of slaves each one is different. John Thompson was born into slavery and overcame challenging circumstances he had to face to obtain freedom. His narrative gives the most brutal account of slave beatings by their masters I have read to date. His writing is also poetical at times and really keeps the reader interested. Thompson perused education by learning to read and write from one of the master’s sons. His faith in God helped him to remain positive and he attributes overcoming hard circumstances he had to face to God. In the first chapter of his narrative John Thompson starts by telling the audience he was born on the Wagar plantation in the year of 1812 and in the state of Maryland. Thompson was one of seven children all from the same parents and he recalls his mom and dad working in the fields. Mrs. Wagar had four sons and two daughters. He remembers that all of the sons were farmers and had plenty of salves to work the land. One part of the narrative I enjoyed takes place in chapter one when he records the first act of slavery he recalls and that is of his sister being sold at the auction block. He and his mother traveled six miles to the place where his sister was being sold and his mother begged them to let her see her daughter and the guards permitted him and his mother access to see his sister. The point in this chapter that stood out to me was when Thompson said, “the first thing that saluted my ears, was the rattling of the chains upon the limbs of the poor victims. It seemed to me to be a hell upon earth” (pg. 14). He was describing what it was like to hear the slaves being sold bound by shackles and seeing them on the frail bodies of the people. The guard allowed them to eat a meal together because he could see how much despair they were in. Thompson’s writing in this chapter of the book is just beautiful. He captures such detail such as the sun setting and the guard shedding tears at the sight of this

Cited: Thompson, John. The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave; Containing His History of 25 Years in Bondage, and His Providential Escape. Written by Himself. Worcester, J. Thompson: n.p., 1856. Print.