Martin Delany represents and explains racial inequality in the mid-nineteenth century in many ways. In chapter five, Means of Elevation, Delany had mentioned that they lived among men and also lived in a world that was conducted by men. “White men are producers-we are consumers. They build houses, we rent them. They raise produce, we consume it.” (Ch.5). Delany then goes on to explain that by these white men’s attributions to the world, they are huge contributors to authors and teachers of laws, medicine, science, religion, etc. This is basically all of the useful things that the world makes great use of. It almost emphasized the importance of these men and why they lived “among” them. Overall, this chapter was a very masculine and dominating text.
When Martin Delany represents Africa and the history of Africans, the tone has a more optimistic tone to it. He mentioned the “New World” and explained all of the opportunities that the African Americans can have once they have taken back control and are free again. He also explains the brutality that the slaves have been through and were still going through at the time. Chapter IV mentioned how he believed in universal equality, yet white people, especially men, still continued to predominate the rest of the world. Lastly, the means of elevations overall meant changing the means of the world. One must put in their greatest effort in order to make a solid change. In the novel, The Heroic Slave, Madison Washington’s strategies for equality were similar to each other but somewhat differed as well. They have both experienced the same pain and hurt and went to great lengths in attempts to make a change and do something about it. Although Madison Washington and Martin Delany wanted the same thing, they both went about it in different but bold and brave ways.
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