Barbary captivity stories framed Muslims as inhuman monsters of darkness in American culture

Evidence

The Barbary Muslims are associated with the Barbary Coast of North Africa and piracy. Captivity stories, like the tales of American Indian kidnappings of white settlers, “emphasized the victimization of the Christian and the inhumanity of the non-Christian.” Muslims were described in these stories as the “Monsters of Africa” that were associated with the “powers of Darkness.” After appearing in literary narratives, these monsters quickly entered other fields of cultural production, eventually becoming popular villains in dime store novels and later, theme parks and films: In addition to the published historical accounts of slavery in North Africa, the Barbary captivity topos appeared in at least four early American novels, nine early plays, ten dime novels, and almost a dozen Hollywood movies. — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 591

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Barbary captivity narratives denounced white slavery while ignoring American slavery