William Wells Brown Escape

Analysis of The Escape; or, A Leap for Freedom William Wells Brown was born into slavery in the early 1800’s. His mother was a slave and his father was a relative of his mother’s owner. Brown escaped slavery with the assistance of a Quaker named William Wells, and took his name as a result. Brown spent several years helping slaves escape to Canada while working on a steamboat, the same way Glen and Melinda escaped the United States. With the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, Brown escaped to England where he wrote several novels including Clotel, one of the first recorded African American novels. He returned to Boston to work for the New England Anti-Slavery Society. There, he wrote The Escape; or, A Leap for Freedom, the first recorded play written by an African American. In Brown’s preface, he states that the main features in the drama are true events and that the protagonists, Glen and Melinda, are real people he knew. Brown continued to write and lecture throughout the rest of his life and fiercely contribute to the abolitionist cause. (Jolley) The main cast of The Escape; or, A Leap for
Gaines and his objective is Melinda’s resistance and Mrs. Gaines interference. Mrs. Gaines main obstacle is Dr. Gaines obsession with Melinda. Mrs. Gaines interference irritates Dr. Gaines and when Mrs. Gaines threatens to divorce him, he is relieved. Their conflict shows how hollow their marriage is, compared to the strong bond that Melinda and Glen share. Melinda wants to live freely with her husband, Glen; however, she lacks the freedom to resist Dr. Gaines. Dr. Gaines’ treatment also frustrates Cato and leads Cato to seek passage to Canada like Melinda and Glen. Melinda and Cato are both challenged by their master, Dr. Gaines, and the society that allows them to be slaves. This conflict demonstrates the injustice of slavery and the hypocrisy Christians exhibit living a “holy” life while simultaneously subjugating a group of innocent