Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: Analysis of Short Fiction and Poetry

Critical Analysis of Harper's Short Fiction and Poetic Works. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper made history with her pioneering literary contributions, which seamlessly interwove social reform with narrative art. Her work as a fiction writer and poet established important precedents in nineteenth-century African-American literature. By examining her initial short story and famous abolitionist verse, scholars gain profound insights into her moral philosophy, advocacy for women, and mastery of literary techniques.

Analysis of "The Two Offers" (1859). Published in 1859, "The Two Offers" represents Harper's initial foray into short fiction and is recognized by most scholars as the first short story published by an African-American author. The narrative functions primarily as a moral story, echoing thematic elements later expanded in her second novel, Sowing and Reaping: A Temperance Story (1876–77). It focuses on two cousins of contrasting socio-economic backgrounds: Laura Lagrange, the doted-upon daughter of a wealthy family, and Janette Alston, a young woman of modest means who navigated life independently following the death of her parents.

Plot Progression and Temperance Themes in "The Two Offers" The narrative structure develops across specific thematic stages:

· Character Introduction: Harper introduces the main figures immediately following Laura's receipt of two marriage proposals.

· Decisional Turn: Laura selects one of her suitors, setting the trajectory for her subsequent domestic life.

· Decadal Passage: The cousins reunite ten years later as Laura lies on her deathbed, neglected by a husband who surrendered to alcohol and unrestrained living.

· Moral Tragic Conclusion: Despite the birth and passing of their child, Laura's husband fails to return to domestic life, having lacked a childhood home characterized as "the birthplace of high resolves, and the altar upon which lofty aspirations are kindled". The narrator places blame on the husband's mother for failing in her duty to teach him "how to produce the grandest of all poems—the poetry of a true and noble life".

Autobiographical Parallels and Ethical Conclusions While Laura surrenders her vigor for living, her unmarried cousin Janette withstands societal taunts regarding her status as an "old maid". Scholar analyses suggest that Harper's personal biography enters the story through Janette. Written when Harper was 34 years old—a year prior to her own marriage—the narrative mirrors her commitment to societal reform. As Janette turns from her cousin's deathbed, her life aligns with higher objectives: "In her the down-trodden slave found an earnest advocate; the flying fugitive remembered her kindness as he stepped cautiously through our Republic, to gain his freedom in a monarchial land, having broken the chains on which the rust of centuries had gathered". The narrative concludes with a moral mandate: "True happiness consists not so much in the fruition of our wishes as in the regulation of desires and the full development and right culture of our whole natures".

Analytical Prompts for Discussion or Writing on "The Two Offers"

· 1st point: Consider that Harper uses this story to comment upon the role of women in 19th-century society. How does Harper construe marriage, motherhood, and the private space of the home?

· 2nd point: Harper positions Janette and Laura as opposites in this story. How do their differences (of wealth, marital status, employment, etc.) serve to move the plot forward?

· 3rd point: The narrator speaks of mothers as "artists," who should be capable of "writing on the soul of childhood the harmony of love and truth" (110). Consider the convergence of motherhood, poetry, and idealism in this story.

· 4th point: In what ways does Harper's short story "The Two Offers" exemplify women's writing of the mid-19th century? Compare and contrast Harper's story with the final chapter of Harriet Jacobs's nonfiction work Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.

Analysis of "Bury Me in a Free Land" (1864). "Bury Me in a Free Land" remains the signature poem through which Harper is widely known to modern readers, often characterized by critics as her personal epitaph. Structurally composed of eight quatrains, each stanza presents a scene that reinforces an unequivocal call for the abolition of slavery. The primary structural devices advancing the poem are a disciplined aabb end rhyme scheme and strategic repetition.

Prosodic Features and Structural Devices The technical execution of the poem relies on deliberate poetic mechanisms:

· Pure Rhymes: Form the main core of the rhyme scheme, featuring pairs such as will/hill, grave/slave, and lash/gash.

· Slant Rhymes: Employ closely related acoustic sounds in combinations such as bay/prey and high/by.

· Rhyme Repetition: The rhyming pair grave/slave recurs in the second stanza, with the word slaves ultimately closing the composition.

· Anaphora and Pronoun Use: The first-person pronoun I appears in every stanza. Stanzas 2 through 4 utilize anaphora, opening with similar phrasing: "I could not rest," "I could not sleep," and "I could not rest".

Dramatic Impact and Subjectivity This structural repetition reinforces the speaker's dying plea for peace while forcing the reader to confront the pervasive injustice of slavery. The juxtaposition of birth and death, combined with the recurring first-person perspective, keeps the reader aware of the narrator's subjectivity and the immediate proximity of death. With each successive stanza, a distinct aspect of the moral dilemma is presented to achieve a powerful dramatic effect.

Analytical Prompts for Discussion or Writing on "Bury Me in a Free Land"

· 1st point: The poem ends in a rhyme scheme similar to that which closes the first stanza. How does this technique lend significance to the poem?

· 2nd point: When a poet repeats a pattern, she or he wishes to evoke a certain response. In this poem each stanza forms a complete sentence. Write a brief essay discussing how Harper uses patterns of syntax in this poem to influence the way the reader experiences the composition.