Frederick Douglass Life Experience

Douglass argues in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, in some circumstances, possessing the privilege of an ability or ownership can actually have a negative impact on the individual. It might not be perceived as favorable or desired as it had seemed in the past and as a result, some individuals wish to return to the past in which they had not changed so drastically. Slavery not only brutalizes the slaves but also to those in charge, as Douglass insisted, “Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness” (Douglass 32). Primarily, owning slaves signified acquiring authority and control.

In this case, it is still valid, but through this, Mrs. Auld had lost her innocence of not being aware of how the system processed. She has changed drastically due to the constant surrounding and influence of owning a slave.

From experiencing this sense of ownership over the slaves, it ultimately had an impact on her self identity. Although one does not know her genuine emotions towards this situation and if she wants to return to when she was not aware, it is certainly clear that her current state as a human being is not in a favorable condition.Douglass also personally experienced a similar situation in which he expressed, “...I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy” (Douglass 35). This implies that Douglass rather regrets possessing the ability to read though it was initially considered as a blessing. It is predominantly due to the reason that he is now able to comprehend the reality of his life and his current condition as a slave. It signifies that he was not expecting to face the truth of reality, but rather simply desired to grasp how society worked. Still through this identification, he is able to acknowledge how he has transformed as a person. His ability to read had a greater emotional impact that essentially stimulated the emotion of regret which ironically made this trait undesirable when he had previously longed for

it. From reflecting on this chapter, I am able to sympathize and relate to these situations in a way as there are numerous occurrences in society today in which many regret doing an action due to the experience of the drastic change in oneself. Although possessing the ability of literally anything may be a privilege it may actually do more harm than good if not utilized in its appropriate use. This can overall cause one to transform into a different individual, losing their own identity. Nonetheless, it is still common for individuals to regret some of their decisions as that is what life signifies. From this, one should recognize the primary concept of realizing one’s decision and reflection on themselves. It is essentially from this reflection that many are able to return or discover their true identity.
These similar situations are yet evident to this day in age considering that once in a while one might make regretful choices. It may occur in the daily lives of an individual as life is full of opportunities and making decisions for oneself which may also have an impact in the surroundings. It is certain that this will consistently occur in the future knowing that one has to make the decision for themself. There is no way to be content if another being has the control over the individual’s life decisions. This also correlates to losing one’s self identity and facing unsatisfied results all primarily due to another individual which is substantially more regretful.