I stand on principle, always, in one place, so everybody knows where to find Sojourner, and I don't want my shadow even to be dogging about here and there and everywhere, so I keep it in this bag. (David & Stetson 9
Part of the fascination with Sojourner Truth in her own time was due to her physical presence. The Detroit Free Press described her as "tall, her head quite small and is set off by a white turban, and as she stands upon the platform, emphasizing her original points and expressions by gestures with her long, bony arms, she presents an appearance at once grotesque and ludicrous, but yet inspiring a degree of respect that commands attention" (see graphic at Appendix a) (Fitch & Mandizuk 4)
Review and Discussion Background and Overview. Although slave narratives have been characterized in the past as being biased or largely fictionalized accounts, by the 1970s scholars began to recognize that these records represent the most robust firsthand source for information about plantation life during this period in American history (Taylor 1999:xvii)