# Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown explained — Clotel > Chapter companion for Clotel by William Wells Brown. ## What happens This chapter details William Wells Brown's experiences as a hired slave under the slave-trader James Walker, including his role in preparing slaves for market and witnessing the brutal realities of the slave trade. It also covers his escape to freedom, his subsequent work as an abolitionist lecturer, and his travels in England where he received widespread support and recognition for his efforts to end slavery. ## Themes in this chapter ### Dehumanization and Commodification Slaves are treated as cargo: chained promiscuously, prepared for market by dyeing hair, and sold at auction like livestock. ### Heroism and Resistance William's escape, his work as an abolitionist lecturer, and the woman who drowned herself rather than live without her family exemplify resistance. ### Hypocrisy of American Democracy Brown's lectures in Britain highlight the contradiction between American claims of liberty and the reality of slavery. ## Character check-ins ### William Wells Brown Narrator and subject; hired by slave-trader James Walker, later escapes and becomes an abolitionist lecturer in the North and England. ### Mr. Walker Slave-trader who hires William; oversees the transport and sale of slaves to New Orleans. ### Currer Mentioned as part of the slave gangs transported; her child is threatened by Walker. ## Key lines > The system of letting out slaves is one among the worst of the evils of slavery. The man who hires a slave, looks upon him in the same light as does the man who hires a horse for a limited period; he feels no interest in him, only to get the worth of his money. Hiring slaves is especially cruel because the hirer cares only about getting his money's worth, treating the slave like a rented horse. _Brown condemns the practice of hiring out slaves as dehumanizing._ > Between fifty and sixty slaves were chained together, put on board a steamboat bound for New Orleans, and started on the voyage. About fifty to sixty slaves were shackled and loaded onto a steamboat heading for New Orleans. _Describes the transport of a slave coffle by river._ > He was ordered to shave off the old men’s whiskers, and to pluck out the grey hairs where they were not too numerous; where they were, he coloured them with a preparation of blacking with a blacking brush. Brown was told to shave the older men's whiskers, pull out gray hairs, and dye the rest with shoe blacking to make them look younger. _Illustrates the deceptive practices used to increase the sale price of older slaves._ > The child cried during the most of the day, which displeased Mr. Walker, and he told the mother that if her child did not stop crying, he would stop its mouth. Walker threatened to silence a crying baby if the mother could not stop it. _Shows the brutal threat of violence against an infant._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clotel_se/chapters/narrative-of-the-life-and-escape-of-william-wells-brown - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clotel_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clotel_se/chapters