2. Avellaneda’s Life
 Born in Cuba on March 23, 1814, Died February 1,
1873
 Came from a noble background of wealthy Spaniards
 Was an avid reader and learner from early childhood
 Wrote poems and plays from a young age

3. Avellaneda’s Life
 Left for Spain at 22
 Found fame in Spain for her writing
 Began writing Sab in Spain
 Tried to enroll in the Royal Academy in Spain but was
not given admission because she was a woman
 Moved back to Cuba in her late 40s where she
continued writing until her death in 1873

4. Sab
 Avellaneda’s most controversial book and her first
novel
 Published in 1841
 Considered to be the Cuban version of Harriet Beecher
Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin
 A literary protest against the practice of slavery

5. Sab
 The story of an Afro-Cuban (Cuban of African
descent) slave named Sab, who is in love with Carlotta,
his master’s daughter
 Addresses questions of moral superiority between
black and white characters around the issue of slavery
 Exemplifies the Cuban literary movement “Negrismo,”
in which white authors represented black characters in
positive ways and white characters in negative ways

6. Sab
 Was banned in Cuba for its criticism of slavery
 Was also considered scandalous because it addresses
miscegenation, or interracial relationships
 Contains parallels between inequalities experienced by
black people and those experienced by women