The Womanist Christology of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point”

Abstract

While scholars have applied feminist lenses and have considered a Christian framework in relation to Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point,” critics have yet to apply either a consciously womanist analysis nor an analysis through the lens of a specific branch of Christian theology. A womanist Christological analysis of the poem reveals that the protagonist experiences metaphorical crucifixion in the beginning of the poem, has an afterlife experience, and is “resurrected” in a way that accords with the spirituality of historical black American women in slavery. The analysis demonstrates the importance of considering intersectional interpretive frameworks when evaluating appropriation and empowerment issues in literature.