Frederick Douglas

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Recommended: The analysis of the narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass, American slave

Douglass was a man born into slavery. He never was taught anyway to know what the day was so he states that he never knew his birthday. Douglass' young life was filled with work and watching other slaves as they were beaten for not doing as they were told. He recounts awakening to hear his aunt screaming in pain. "I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip her naked back until she was covered in blood."

At the time he was born, a slave child was not allowed to stay with their mother more than a couple months. He spent his childhood under the care of an older woman, who was kept as a slave just to raise the children. "I never saw my mother, to know her as such, more than four or five times in my life; and each of these times was a very short duration, and at night. " After that, the mother was sent off to another location so that the child would not have any ties to her.

Douglass also was not given much interaction or knowledge of his father other than knowing that his master was his father. "My father was a white man. He was admitted to be such by all I ever heard speak of my parentage." Having his master as his father made his treatment even less appealing. It would seem that his master treated him even worse because that was his son, so as not to let the other slaves know anything. He came from a mixed parentage and was often looked down on for being "yellow." He never had a kind word spoken to him by his father and to this day is not sure if his master really was his father but believes such because that is what he was always told.

The treatment of the slaves was incredibly vile and unjust. Slave...

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...tails on his path to freedom because he worried that those who helped him would be punished.

The Narrative of Frederick Douglass has had a profound impact on the abolitionist movement. It is believed that because Douglass was brave enough to write a story about his life and how it was affected by slavery and all the things that he went through, other slaves were able to find the strength to stand up for themselves as well. If Douglass had not done the things he had done, other slaves would not have gained the strength and the courage to stand up for their rights and there is a possibility slavery would still be around today. Douglass' book still remains relative today because it is a true story about the struggles, trials, and tribulations that were dealt with by slaves all over the country. Society may not have known what was going on if not for his bravery.

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