Douglass And Bagbo Analysis

Both the “character” of Frederick Douglass in Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and the character of Babo in Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno are, among many things, a tale of heroism. Although there are clear distinctions between Douglass’s autobiography and abolitionist work and Cereno’s fictional work -specifically in terms of how they resisted slavery and to what extent they were successful- both protagonists use their intelligence and strength to overcome their white masters and a society that has subordinated them. Douglass and Babo begin their stories in different ways, with Douglass being born into slavery in Baltimore and Babo being captured from his native land in Senegal, but they both manage to escape their

Douglass’s resistance of oppression was much more direct, both mentally and physically. Due to the 1st first person perspective of his Narrative, his tactics come off much more understandable and justifiable to his largely, White, Northern audience. Throughout the narrative, especially in scene between a master and his aunt, he portrays slaves as helpless victims at the mercy of their sadistic master. Witnessing his master beat his aunt into a bloody pulp, for example, emasculated Douglass because he could not prevent the man from asserting his authority over her. In the scene with Mr. Covey, however, Douglass portrayed violence as an act of reclaiming his manhood. Although the “slave-breaker” manages to overwork and beat Douglass until he nearly had no choice but to recover from his anguish instead of pursuing any education or freedom, his fight against Mr. Covey was a physical manifestation of his inner power and identity that even Mr. Covey could not ignore. The two White perspectives in Benito Cereno depict the violence among the slaves and the Whites as the complete opposite. Although the slaves have clearly proven they are far more intelligent and powerful than the other men have presumed, the White men’s internalized racism prevents them from seeing this aspect and draws their attention towards the physical violence instead. They label themselves as the

In Douglass’s Narrative, Douglass uses his eloquent storytelling skills and provocative rhetoric to both display the horrors of slavery for Whites and Blacks as well as convince the public that slavery undermines the values of the nation and Christianity. He uses his former mistress, Mrs. Auld, as an example of how slavery corrupts White women, who embody Christian values and nurturance in the home. She transforms from a kind, idealistic exemplar of a proper woman to a complete monster. Furthermore, Douglass appeals to his White audience by distinguishing true Christianity by the one practiced by slave owners. Slavery turns White owners into violent, greedy, and blind hypocrites to the message of God. Finally, he also compares the perils slave escapes are similar to the those of the forefathers who fought for this nation by referencing Patrick Henry. His own bravery for choosing between slavery and potentially fatal consequences for escaping reflects how the American people were willing to die for their their liberty, and this analogy make abolitions a more recognizable and patriotic crusade for American rights. His entire narrative is the epitome of a Transcendentalist, American success story of self-reliance and organized principles to success -with the additional white stamp of