Clotel · Character

William Wells Brown

A self-educated mechanic who stashes his hard-won earnings for freedom, then hands them to Clotel so she can escape as a gentleman while he plays her servant.

major

Also known as W. Wells Brown, Mr. Brown, William, Brown, Wells Brown, Mr. William Wells Brown, Mr. Willis, William W. Brown

First appearance: Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown

As a major figure in Clotel, William Wells Brown is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Author and narrator, writing from London to appeal to British readers against American slavery.

In the storyPreface to the 1853 EditionOpen this moment free

See William Wells Brown in Preface to the 1853 Edition Book page

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William is a tall, full-bodied mechanic whose countenance beams with intelligence, a man who has earned more than his purchase price and saved one hundred and fifty dollars toward his own liberty. Moved to tears by Clotel's story, he surrenders that hoard in an instant, then argues against her daring scheme even as he agrees to play the loud, grumbling servant in it. His generosity and his fear of recapture pull against each other, making him the moral hinge on which the novel's first flight to freedom turns.

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See William Wells Brown in Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown

Character Web

15 connections

A slice of how William Wells Brown sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Social
Rivalry

Character groups

Abolitionist allies
Protagonist
Diverse supporting characters
Sold and separated family

+10 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

In this conclusion, the emotional and psychological peak occurs as the narrator shifts from personal testimony…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Clotel
psychological · ambivalent
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with… How this plays out →
Mr. Carlton
social · ambivalent
Captain Price
rivalry · negative
Mr. Walker
rivalry · negative
Ned Huckelby
rivalry · negative
Sam
social · positive
Clotel
psychological · ambivalent
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with… How this plays out →
Sam
social · positive
Captain Price
rivalry · negative
Mr. Carlton
social · ambivalent
Mr. Walker
rivalry · negative
Ned Huckelby
rivalry · negative

Clotel
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with Clotel, observing and chronicling her suffering and fate.
Mr. Carlton
Mr. Carlton and William Wells Brown are likely acquaintances, with Brown documenting Carlton's role in the slave system.
Captain Price
Captain Price is a slave trader and antagonist, representing the brutal system that Brown condemns.
Mr. Walker
Mr. Walker is a slave catcher or trader, opposing Brown's abolitionist perspective.
Ned Huckelby
Ned Huckelby is a slave overseer, embodying the cruelty that Brown critiques in his narrative.
Sam
Sam is likely a fellow slave or acquaintance of Brown, sharing a common experience of bondage.
Clotel
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with Clotel, observing and chronicling her suffering and fate.
Sam
Sam is likely a fellow slave or acquaintance of Brown, sharing a common experience of bondage.
Captain Price
Captain Price is a slave trader and antagonist, representing the brutal system that Brown condemns.
Mr. Carlton
Mr. Carlton and William Wells Brown are likely acquaintances, with Brown documenting Carlton's role in the slave system.
Mr. Walker
Mr. Walker is a slave catcher or trader, opposing Brown's abolitionist perspective.
Ned Huckelby
Ned Huckelby is a slave overseer, embodying the cruelty that Brown critiques in his narrative.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See William Wells Brown in Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown

In the story

William Wells Brown appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Preface to the 1853 Edition
Author and narrator, writing from London to appeal to British readers against American slavery.
Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown
Narrator and subject; hired by slave-trader James Walker, later escapes and becomes an abolitionist lecturer in the North and England.
XIX: Escape of Clotel
William, a fellow slave who hires his own time, gives Clotel his savings of $150 to fund her escape. He assists her in the escape plan and later faces discrimination on a train, paying only thirty-seven cents for his ride in the luggage van.
Conclusion
Narrator and author, affirms the truth of the narrative and his personal involvement in many scenes.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for William Wells Brown unlock in the free preview.

See William Wells Brown in Narrative of the Life and Escape of William Wells Brown

See William Wells Brown in Preface to the 1853 Edition