The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave

The cover page of the 1831 Westley and Davis edition of the book includes a portion of the 1788 poem “The Negro’s Complaint” by British poet William Cowper as an epigraph. Find the poem online and explain how its tone and images relate to the content of the book. How would they have prepared the reader for the book’s content in the 1830s?

Compare and contrast Prince’s experiences with the Williamses to her time with the Woods. What does each context reveal about Prince and about enslavement?

According to the text, what are some of Prince’s basic values? How are these reflected in the narrative?

In the Preface, Pringle insists that the edited text remains faithful to Prince’s telling, besides some basic standardization and grammatical edits. Do you agree with Pringle’s choice to make changes? Why or why not?

How might Prince’s narrative be different in its original oral format? What do you think is lost and gained in the process of transcription and editing?

Why do you think Mr. Wood was so obstinate about not granting Prince her legal freedom? What does this process reveal about power structures and access to freedom for emancipated slaves?

What is the significance of Prince’s religious conversion? How does it affect her life and her choices?

What is Prince’s objective in composing her autobiography? Identify the moments in the text that most effectively accomplish that objective, in your opinion.