Amerikai fogságelbeszélések a Magrebben. Kutatási irányok és lehetőségek
American Captivity Narratives in the Maghreb: Research Directions and Approaches

Summary/Abstract: The Indian Captivity Narrative is a well-known literary genre in Early American Literature. Works that presented the life of the natives, and the American pioneers’ interactions with them in the so-called Western Frontier overshadowed the captivity stories about the “North African Frontier of the U.S.” in many ways. It is a fact that the captivity of sailors, merchants, and soldiers in the Barbary was a central theme in several works not only in Western Europe but also in North America. The present essay describes the research possibilities inherent in the investigation of the Barbary Captivity Narrative. Through selected narratives and excerpts, it demonstrates the impact these accounts and diaries had on the early thinking and historical perspective of the United States. The focus is on the relationship between slavery or/and captivity and the so-called captivity narrative. The Barbary Captivity Narrative flourished in the United States in the 18–19th century, and it was a significant genre of Early American Literature. In addition, the narratives reveal some of the earliest impressions Americans had of Africa. Moreover, the genre not only presented American life in captivity, but also revealed the criticism of the institution of slavery in North America.

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