In simple, yet powerful storylines, slave narratives follow in general a plot common to all of them: starting from the initial situation, the slave in his master's home, the protagonist escapes in the wilderness and narrates the struggle for survival and recognition throughout his uncertain journey to freedom. After all, these narratives were written retrospectively by freed slaves and/or their abolitionist advocate, hence the focus on the transformation from the dehumanized slave to the self-emancipated free man. This change often entailed literacy as a means to overcome captivity, as the case of Frederick Douglass highlights. The narratives are very graphic to the extent as extensive accounts of e.g. whipping, abuse and rape of enslaved women are exposed in detail (see Treatment of slaves in the United States). The denunciation of the slave owners, in particular their cruelty and hypocrisy, is a recurring theme in slave narratives, and in some examples denounced the double standards (e.g. in Douglass's narrative, his slave owner Hopkins is a very religious, but also brutal man).
in sImple, yeT poWerfUL storylinEs, SlAVe nArRatIvES follow iN geNERal a plot COmmoN To aLl Of Them: staRtinG from the iNiTIAL situaTion, THe sLavE In his masTer's HOmE, thE pRotAgonist EscaPeS in thE wildeRnEsS and NArrAtES thE stRuggle fOR suRVivAl and Recognition ThrouGHoUt His UNCERTaiN journey tO freedOm. after aLL, tHeSE narratiVeS WErE wrIttEn reTroSPECtively By freEd slaveS And/or THeiR AboLitionist aDvocate, hence the fOcus oN THe transformAtIon froM tHE dehUmaNized sLave to tHe SeLF-emanCipAted Free mAN. tHIs ChANge OFTEn enTaILed LIteracy as a meAns TO oVeRcomE cAPtIviTY, As the CAse of frederick dOuglass HigHlIghts. the NarratIVeS ArE VerY graphIc to THe EXtent As extENsivE aCCOUNts Of E.g. whipping, abUsE and Rape oF enslAVed WomeN aRe exPoSed iN dEtail (SeE trEaTmENt of slAveS in tHe uNited StaTes). thE deNuncIation OF The slavE oWners, IN PaRtiCuLAr thEir CrUeltY aND hypOcRisY, Is A recurring tHeme iN sLavE NaRrAtivEs, And In soMe eXAmPles dEnoUNced The double StANdaRDs (e.g. In DOuglass'S narRAtivE, hIS slave oWneR HOpkins Is a very ReligIous, buT aLso brutal mAn).