Similarities Between Twain And Frederick Douglass

Both Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass use many similar narrative techniques in The Boys’ Ambition and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Both Twain and Douglass use formal diction when recounting their personal lives in these narratives. For example, when Twain writes “before these events, the day was glorious with expectancy; after them, the day was a dead and empty thing”, he shows his understanding of high level vocabulary as well as the appropriate usage of a semi-colon (Twain). Douglass also demonstrates his formal diction and educated grammar usage when he writes “I may be deemed superstitious, and even egotistical, in regarding this event as a special interposition of divine Providence in my favor” (Douglass). Another way

in which Twain and Douglass use similar narrative techniques is in the way they incorporate both the subjective and objective tone in their narratives. Twain subjectively states “before these events, the day was glorious with expectancy; after them, the day was a dead and empty thing” when speaking of the arrival and departure of the daily steamboats (). Twain then goes on to objectively describe those who were waiting for the steamboat as “drays, carts, men, boys, all go hurrying from many quarters to a common center, the wharf” (Twain). Douglass also is able to switch seamlessly from an objective tone to a subjective tone in his writing when needed. Objectively, Douglass describes the food on the plantations. He states “our food was coarse corn-meal boiled. This was called mush.’ (Douglass). However, Douglass also subjectively states that “… few left the trough satisfied” when depicting these same meals. (Douglass) Finally, both Twain and Douglass incorporate both happy and sad accounts to create a believable narrative. Twain laments how he “humbly inquired for the pilots, but got only a cold shoulder

and short words from mates and clerks.” (Twain) Then, Twain describes “the captain stands by the big bell, calm, imposing, the envy of all” when speaking of the steamboats arrival in town (Twain). Through the use of a formal tone, both subjective and objective perspectives, and the inclusion of joyful and troublesome memories, Twain and Douglass demonstrate some similar narrative techniques in The Boys’ Ambition and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

Twain and Douglass also use several different narrative techniques in The Boys’ Ambition and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

Although both Twain and Douglass both lived in the south, Douglass was a slave and, therefore, faced greater hardships than did Twain. While Twain was preoccupied about becoming steamboat captain, Douglass was experiencing more dire troubles such as having “no shoes, no stockings, no jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only to my knees” (Douglass). As a free, white male, Twain’s biggest worry was not accomplishing his goal of becoming a steamboat pilot (Twain). Another difference is the use of joyful and troubling memories. While Twain ends his narrative in despair because he “somehow… could not manage…” to become a steamboat pilot, Douglass ends his narrative in the hopeful and thankful tone of a freed slave. Douglass proclaims “this good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise”(Douglass). Finally, another narrative technique that differs Twain from Douglass is that Twain speaks for all of the boys of his town while Douglass only recounts his own experiences. According to Twain, “when I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steamboatman.”(Twain). Douglass, although alluding to other slaves, does not depict their desires nor does he show a kinship with them. Douglass’

independence is shown in his focusing on his own experiences when he states “I left without a regret, and with the highest hopes of future happiness.”(Douglass). Many of the narrative techniques Twain and Douglass use in The Boys’ Ambition and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass are not the same. These include the difference of their perspectives based on their races in the south, the differing emotional tone at the end of each narrative, and their differing depictions of their inclusive or exclusive personal experiences.

In The Boys’ Ambition of Life on the Mississippi and in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass and Twain use many similar as well as many different narrative techniques in their writing.

Both Twain and Douglass use formal diction and grammar, fluidly switch between the objective and subjective tones, and include both positive and negative experiences in their narratives. However, Twain and Douglass also use differing techniques such drawing on their different cultural experiences in the south, ending their narratives on different emotional notes, and writing from an independent perspective versus an inclusive perspective. However, all these narrative techniques in The Boys’ Ambition of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain and in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass effectively helped create these well-known, masterful personal

narratives.