Mr. Listwell is used to appeal to Douglass’s white readers, as he offers an abolitionist perspective as a white man. He is from Ohio and only witnesses The Horrors of Enslavement when he visits Virginia. This makes him an example of the ideological divide between the North and South regarding chattel enslavement. He is a Northerner and becomes vehemently opposed to enslavement after hearing Madison’s lamenting and prayers. Douglass doesn’t name Listwell until the end of Part 1. This means that he could be any white man—an example for the intended reader to follow. When he is named, Douglass writes, “Mr. Listwell (our traveller)” (6). The parenthetical pronoun is in the first-person plural. The use of “our” creates a sense of intimacy and connection, as the reader can be one with the writer.

Listwell’s abolitionist actions support Presenting Models of White Allyship. These actions include helping Madison escape through Ohio to Canada. Listwell supplies Madison with transportation, money, and provisions after allowing Madison to sleep in his Ohio home and eat with him. This is a revolutionary act in the racially segregated 19th century, and Listwell becomes more radical as the story progresses. He is morally conflicted about not revealing that he is an abolitionist when he returns to Virginia; he believes that he should be condemning chattel enslavement at all times. However, when visiting the tavern outside of Richmond, his safety relies on the men there thinking that he approves of enslavement. Through the confidence of Wilkes, Listwell learns about an enslaved gang going to auction.

Listwell’s most heroic act is giving Madison files with which to break his bonds before he boards an enslavement ship. The files give the enslaved people the opportunity to take over the ship and sail it to a British colony where chattel enslavement is illegal. Douglass portrays Listwell helping arm the men as a positive and moral act.

Tom Grant is the first mate of the enslavement ship called the Creole. He is described as a “trim, compact, manly looking person” and “no coward” (40, 43). Tom explains to Jack Williams that he is a changed man after witnessing the enslaved people’s revolt led by Madison. Tom refuses to ever work on an enslavement ship again and denounces the institution of chattel enslavement in general; this change of heart makes him a dynamic character. He also says that Madison is “a superior man; one who, had he been a white man, [Tom] would have followed willingly and gladly in any honorable enterprise” (48). Not only did Madison remove the fetters from 18 other enslaved people, but he also showed mercy when dealing with Tom. Madison’s unwillingness to participate in unnecessary violence and his intelligence inspired Tom to become an abolitionist.

Jack Williams is the sailor whom Tom tells about the enslaved people’s revolt. The narrator describes Jack as “a regular old salt” (40). He is also aggressively racist, claiming that Black people are “cowards.” Jack is willing to listen to Tom’s story about the revolt, but Douglass doesn’t include his response to it. The story ends when Tom’s story ends. This means that Jack is a somewhat static character and antagonistic; the reader doesn’t see if hearing about Madison changes his mind about enslavement.

Wilkes is another minor character who meets Listwell in the tavern outside of Richmond. He is referred to as a “Loafer” and “a fool.” Listwell is not subject to Wilkes’s antagonism because Listwell hides the fact that he is an abolitionist for safety purposes. However, Wilkes helps Listwell locate Madison in the enslaved gang and thus plays a key role in the revolt by connecting them. Overall, Wilkes is a flat character who illustrates racism among lower-class white people.