Frederick Douglass Struggles

Not many are aware of the horror that slavery in the United States was. Many only have knowledge of it from analyses or textbook readings, rarely ever having read firsthand accounts. Frederick Douglass’ autobiography; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass allows the reader to experience slave life through the eyes of Douglass. The autobiography fully encompasses the tenacity that Douglass possessed, with a never dying strive for freedom.
Frederick Douglass is mulatto slave born to a white man (whom is believed to be his master), and an enslaved black woman. He is separated from his mother at a very young age as it was common to part slave children from their mothers in Maryland “before the child has reached its twelfth month (1 Douglass)”.

When his mother dies, he seems to be utterly emotionless and desensitized to what to a normal person, would be a devastating occurrence. His attitude is similar to that of Elie Wiesel’s reaction to his father’s death in the holocaust autobiography Night. Douglass’ telling of his early experiences form the base for the continuing theme of how slavery hardens the soul and mind into utter nothingness.
Throughout his life as a slave, Douglass encounters more cruel masters until he reaches the urban Baltimore, where he is enveloped in treatment that is heavenly compared to that of plantation life.

He claims that “a city slave is almost a freeman (21 Douglass)”, especially considering he had learned to read here. After indulging in the nearly free life, Douglass returned to living on a plantation. Consequently, he encountered evil masters once again. However, no master was more atrocious than “Mr. Covey”. Under Covey’s supervision, Douglass was pushed to the brink of his physical abilities. Aside from the physical strain, Douglass goes on to say “I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. […] The dark night of slavery closed in upon me (38 Douglass).” With this quote, Douglass reacquaints us with the theme of what detriment slavery inflicts on a person. He experiences several short-lived highlights of hope that ultimately dimmed to wretchedness. Douglass begins to change, however. After being given a root said by another slave to prevent him from being whipped, Douglass has an intense physical confrontation with Covey. Arguably, he emerged as the winning party in the confrontation. He illustrated his feeling after the confrontation as invigorating, evoking a sense of triumph. “It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom (43 Douglass)” he said. The diction Douglass uses not only intensifies his message to the reader, but also to let them imagine. For example, with the word

“rekindle”, one would imagine a weak fire roaring back to life, and would associate the fire to Douglass’ spirit that had been revived.
After his contract with Covey had expired, he began work with a new master by the name of “Mr.

Freeland” whom Douglass credits as the “best master [he] ever had (49 Douglass).” While working for Freeland, he begins hosting a “Sabbath school” for fellow slaves. There he educated other slaves, and taught them how to read. Douglass continuously conveyed his changing demeanor from hopeless slave, to one motivated to escape the tight grip of slavery. He plans an escape that ultimately fails and results in his imprisonment. An everlasting rise and fall of prosperity remains a constant motif as any time Douglass is met with success, he has it plucked from his hands. His telling of these highs and lows allow the reader to “feel his pain” and therefore sympathizing with Douglass throughout his miserable life as a slave. A relative point of triumph occurs when one of his former masters gets him from prison, and begins working in the function of hiring out his own time and then giving the vast majority of his earning to his master. While he is unable to keep much of the money he earns, Douglass is able to work for the most part, on his own accord. Here is the peak of rising action that Douglass builds in his narrative preceding an exceptional climax as he inched closer to freedom. He builds the tension and excitement for the reader, for he is at the brink.
Finally, after a life in slavery, Douglass “left [his] chains (63 Douglass)” and reaches the free state of New York. Finally having

escaped, Douglass is draped in excitement and rejoice. His exceptional description of how it felt to be free lets the reader to feel that excitement, and understand just how relieving it was to leave slavery. After having the assistance of a few kind persons, he begins settling his life as a free man. This marks a permanent point of prosperity for Douglass, as his life can only improve after being free from slavery.
The narrative ends with him attending an anti-slavery meeting where he “never felt happier (69 Douglass).” Although at the tail-end of the book, this represents the turning point of Douglass’ view of change. Suddenly being immersed in people who recognized the horror of slavery, and that they were proactive in implementing change, Douglass would be overcome with hope that slavery would no longer be perpetual.
While certainly extraordinary, the narrative seems to abruptly end. It leaves one yearning to learn more of Douglass. He signs off in the 1840s where he was still incredibly young. Considering the book is titled “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas”, one would believe that a life narrative would elaborate far beyond the early adulthood, especially when Douglass achieved great things with the abolitionists of the north. A more proper title for the autobiography would be more among the lines of “Narrative of the Young Life of Frederick Douglass”.
Nonetheless, Douglass’ autobiography is both inspiring, and motivating. It incites the reader to not only lose hope, but to persevere even in the darkest of times. Through the harshest conditions imaginable, and lowest points of emotional distress, Douglass was able to pick himself up and continue to his goal.