Negative Effects Of Slavery Essay

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The Corrupting Effect of Slavery on Slave Owners

Frederick Douglass is one of the most well-known, powerful, and talked about anti-slavery advocators of his time. In his book, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he describes his journey as a slave in America in an attempt to show the people how unjust and unnatural the practice of slavery really is. Throughout his book he clearly points out the negative effects of slavery. When most people think about the negative aspects of slavery it is from the slave’s point of view. However, Frederick Douglass describes how slavery is harmful not only to slaves, but to slave owners as well. Slavery pushes the boundaries of slaves’ mental and physical states while also corrupting the moral state of …show more content…

First off and most apparent is the physical damage of slavery. Slaves were constantly in fear of the lash of a whip or worse. They were given value based on how well they could work. They could be beat for the smallest offence or even no reason at all which led to paranoia among slaves. In Douglass’ narrative he describes one of, if not, the cruelest men he encountered. Mr. Gore was the most violent overseer Douglass ever had. He was cold and calculating with regard to the slaves. The overseer did not see people when he looked at slaves, but rather property with no rights or privileges. Douglass describes how Mr. Gore was viewed as an excellent overseer, “and if so, he is now, as he was then, as highly esteemed and as much respected as though his guilty soul had not been stained with his brother 's blood” (Douglass 18). Douglass uses irony to present to his readers the everyday cruelty of slavery. The irony is in how only those corrupt by slavery would view Mr. Gore was a respectable man, any enlightened person would view him for his cruelty and brutality. Douglass presents this idea to show his readers of the everyday cruelty and unnatural treatment of

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