Frederick Douglass Theme Of Freedom Essay

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass is the account of Fredrick Douglass’s life while being a slave, told in the first person. Many themes run throughout the book, but the prominent theme is that of freedom. Fredrick becomes obsessed by the prospect of freedom and it stays with him until he is able to obtain it. He hears talk of freedom for the slaves through Mr. Gore and his defense for killing Demby, a slave. He claims that if one slave refuses to take punishment and keeps his life, he would set an example for the other slaves. Many of the overseers and slave owners think this way to validate their actions. This type of thought helps to hinder Fredrick in his search for freedom. Later on, Fredrick gets to escape the plantation life

for a while and lives with the Auld family. Now looking back on that move, he realizes he probably would not be free now to be writing his memories down; he would still be laboring out in the fields. He can recall telling the “poor white children” that he wished he could be free with them and they would just laugh. He was around twelve years old when the thought of being a slave forever began “to bear heavily on my heart” thus his yearning for freedom began to blossom. He says that “the silver trump of freedom had roused my soul to eternal wakefulness” and once the feeling starts it is hard to stomp out.

Fredrick learning to read and write was one way to help him get closer to freedom. While he continues to improve his literary skills, Fredrick has to go and be divided up along with his master’s property; that is what he considered to be. This will put a halt on things. Fredrick now comes to regret not trying to escape from the city because there is a greater chance for success than if you were to try out in the country. His regret fuels the desire for freedom even more because he knows it was just in his grasp only to not be a plausible option anymore. He even goes to the Chesapeake Bay and rants to the ships about slavery; he’s beyond ready to acquire his freedom. Fredrick continues to devise plans to escape and everything along the way reminds him of his longing to be free. He can now realize how they were misled by the overseers about what freedom actually was. For example, the slaves were given whisky/alcohol during the holidays and they would assume that it was freedom. Going back to the fields would be a relief because it was easy to get tired of all the alcohol consumed. Fredrick continues to want and ache for freedom like the white men and freed

slaves. The itch for it never quite goes away until he is finally able to obtain it.