An American Slave Authority Essay

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The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave is about a slave named Frederick who for a good portion of his life serving his master to the best of his ability. Now Frederick wasn’t your average slave, un like the rest he knew how to read and write. He was very smart to have grown up in his situation. In this book frederick talks about the hardships of being a slave, and also makes an argument of how being a slaveholder can actually have a negative effect on someone and that the authority that comes along with the title is being abused.The question here would be is this a fact? Did the authority over many slaves cause slaveholders to become the brutal characters they are known to be because the authority they possessed? …show more content…

The irresponsible power of slaveholding transforms Sophia from an idealistic woman to a demon.One of Douglass’s slave holders names was Mrs. and Mr. Lucretia and Thomas Auld. After Captain Anthony’s death, Lucretia inherits half his property, including Douglass. This married couple was one of his very first slave holders, She allows Her brother Hugh borrow Douglass to help his son. He had a wife who is referred to as Mrs. Auld. She started out as nice caring woman She helped douglass, even started to teach him how to read. But that all changed when her husband came and told her that she was doing this all wrong. He says “quote”. And from this point on she became more cruel than her husband. In the story it says she. “This kind heart had but a short time to remain such. The fatal poison of irresponsible power was in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice made of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord, and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon.”. Now yes the different from between Mrs. Sophia Auld is evidence but that doesn’t necessary that her realizing her power cause to become they women she was. They are many possible reason for sudden change one thing it could have been her husband expanding her authority upon her. Enforcing her to be as nasty and cruel as she could

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