Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black

What is the significance behind the author’s decision to use “Our Nig” in the title of her autobiographical novel, especially given the Bellmonts’ racialized and derogatory use of the term in reference to Frado? 

Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black opens with the story of Mag Smith, Frado’s mother. What is the significance of opening an autobiographical novel with a white mother figure? How does this opening impact the reader’s interpretation of Frado’s circumstances? 

Frado’s mixed-race identity incites other people’s racial prejudices, while her light complexion offers her some privileges that a darker-skinned black person would not be typically afforded. What are some examples of Frado’s experiences that demonstrate the contradictions behind society’s treatment of her mixed-race identity?