Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Quote Analysis

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his autobiography Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass’s desire to attain freedom was chained by the brutal hands of slavery. He proclaimed “ I left my chains, and succeeded in reaching New York without the slightest interruption of any kind. How I did so,— what means I adopted,—what direction I travelled, and by what mode of conveyance,—I must leave unexplained, for the reasons before mentioned. I have been frequently asked how I felt when I found myself in a free State. I have never been able to answer the question with any satisfaction to myself. It was a moment of the highest excitement I ever experienced.” (Douglass Chapter 11) These recollections depict the manner that the American social structure, …show more content…

His initiative was admirable as consequences ranging from beating to potential death, did not discourage instead he fought for his freedom, both literally and figuratively in regards to his fight with Master Covey. While making genuine missteps is a portion of the cycle to success, one’s drive is an attribute which can not be substituted or artificially generated. In lieu, amidst a world which hastedly deems one a disappointment, if one pursues a goal they must seek to achieve it at all costs. Famed actor Will Smith embodied this philosophy in his quote “And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guy's sleeping? I'm working.” Thus, reaffirming that prosperity is earned and the process of attainment is far from facile. Surely, perfectionism is an ideal which one would seek to emblematize as they would become the standard, in their field. However, by instilling an idea that perfection is the standard from an adolescent we are creating a process in which the maverick is destined to succeed. This is by virtue of the fact that the maverick will have the effrontery to challenge the norm. Nonetheless, from a societal perspective every human being must be granted the chance to succeed and setting exorbitant standards

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