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The narrative of Frederick Douglass
The narrative of Frederick Douglass
Critical analysis of Frederick Douglass
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In the autobiography, “The Narrative of Frederik Douglas” by Frederik Douglass, Douglass discussed his experience as a slave and how he wished to escape slavery. He wanted to break free physically and mentally from slavery. Although, it’s hard for slaves to receive their freedom due to slave laws and immoral treatment from their slave masters. Douglass decided to escape from his slave masters corrupt plantation and migrated to the north in search of his freedom. He escaped to the north after he self-teaches himself how to read and write and discovers about the abolitionist movement. Although he faced challenges along the way such as finding places to hide and people to trust, he eventually finds freedom in the north. Once, he arrived in the …show more content…
Many escaped due to the immoral treatment of their slave masters and others wanted better life opportunities. Many slaves escaped to the north where they could receive an education and have equal job opportunities as the white population. Although many slaves that escaped were successful and those who weren’t successful were either beaten to death or severely punished., since it was illegal for slaves to escape from their master’s plantation. Some slaves were lucky because some slave masters let them escape or set them free. Since they had joined the abolitionist movement. Frederik Douglass searched for his freedom and escaped his slave masters corrupt plantation when he was 20 years old. Although he successfully escaped to the north, he faced challenges by debating on who to trust, finding a place to stay and escaping from slaveholders. Although, he meets abolitionist and shares his story about his experience as a slave in the south. It created an awakening for slaves since he was one of the first slaves that wrote a biography of his life even though slaves were expected to be uneducated. It showed cased slavery as evil and immoral and more people began to support the abolitionist movement. Thus caused conflict between the south and the north because many whites had different opinions and beliefs about slavery. Since they claimed slavery was a good thing because slaves were given a place to live and a place to
He learned to read and found out he wasn’t supposed to be living the life he’s living. Around 1835, Douglass wanted to become free. He asked his master to work and months later, he ran away. When he ran, he made a difference in the lives of slaves. Frederick encouraged slaves to read and write.
From before the country’s conception to the war that divided it and the fallout that abolished it, slavery has been heavily engrained in the American society. From poor white yeoman farmers, to Northern abolitionist, to Southern gentry, and apathetic northerners slavery transformed the way people viewed both their life and liberty. To truly understand the impact that slavery has had on American society one has to look no further than those who have experienced them firsthand. Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and advocate for the abolitionist, is on such person. Douglass was a living contradiction to American society during his time. He was an African-American man, self-taught, knowledgeable, well-spoken, and a robust writer. Douglass displayed a level of skill that few of his people at the time could acquire. With his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself, Douglass captivated the people of his time with his firsthand accounts into the horror and brutality that is the institution of slavery.
One of the key arguments in “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” as well as in other narratives about slaves is inequality. Douglass attempts to show us how African American slaves were still human beings like their white counterparts, there have been numerous instances where it is shown that many whites did not want to accept slaves as true humans. Frederick Douglass also perceived racial inequalities at a very young age and notes “I do not remember ever met a slave who could tell his or her birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvest-time, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time. A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege” (13). Douglass also takes the argument of inequality one step further by making remarks upon the difference between the white and black children. Instead of accepting the difference that he is aware of even the minor details of inequalities. These descriptions of inequality are stated in the first half of the book and help us as readers realize the true “worth” of a slave. Frederick Douglass states “We were all ranked together at the valuation. Men and women, old and young, married and single, were ranked with horses, sheep and swine. There w...
Douglass’s life in the city was very different from his life in the country, and living in the city changed his life. In the city, he worked as a ship caulker which he excelled at, compared to a a field hand in the country which he was not skilled at. In the city he was treated better and always fed, but in the country he was experienced lack of food most of the time. The city opened his mind to escaping, and with the help of abolitionists he was able to successfully escape. In the country he did not knowledgable people to help him and was turned in by an ignorant, loyal slave. The city’s better opportunities and atmosphere led Frederick Douglass to escape freedom and dedicate the rest of his life fighting to end slavery
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery sometime between 1817 or 1818. Like many slaves he was unsure of his birthday; it was one of the many things that he was deprived of. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a memoir written by former slave himself, Frederick Douglass. The book explains his hardships ranging from losing family members, being moved from owner to owner, and being whipped at least once a week. One of Frederick's many owners, Auld, considered him unmanageable. Auld rented Frederick to Mr. Covey for a year, also known as the slave breaker (pg 34). Mr. Covey was one of the most cruel slave owners Frederick had. Mr. Covey treated him with barbarity. Throughout Douglass’ stay with Mr. Covey he grew as a person.
In conclusion, Frederick Douglass starts his life as a slave determined to get his freedom. At the end of his life, he is one of the foremost figures of the abolitionist movement. Douglass' narrative takes advantage of the literal advantage in order to abolish slavery. Through depictions of dehumanization and freedom, Frederick Douglass' narrative is instrumental in swaying the views of the indifferent Northern residents.
On September 3rd, 1838, at age 20, Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery by boarding a train to Maryland and pretending to be a freed sailor. Once he became a free man, Douglass became a member of the church, and also began frequently attending abolitionist meetings. After finding inspiration in William Lloyd Garrison, the most famous abolitionist in the 1840s, he started sp...
In the “Narrative Life of Frederick Douglas” Frederick Douglas discuss his life of being born a slave to him escaping to the North for freedom. Since slavery wasn’t abolished until 1865 in the U.S. and Douglas didn’t publish his book until 1845, he wanted to show people the truth behind slavery and hopefully people would understand that slavery is not something that needs to be around no longer. Although, Douglas explains his life story and he also points out a few harsh moments other slaves have to go through as well. Therefore, the overall argument is slavery being abolish and how Douglas plans his escape.
Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who altered America's views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick's life as a slave had the greatest impact on his writings. Through his experience as a slave, he developed emotion and experience for him to become a successful abolitionist writer. He experienced harsh treatment and his hate for slavery and desire to be free caused him to write Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In his Narrative, he wrote the story of his miserable life as a slave and his fight to be free. His motivation behind the character (himself) was to make it through another day so that maybe one day he might be free. By speaking out, fighting as an abolitionist and finally becoming an author, Douglass's transformation from a slave into a man.
Douglass was motivated to learn how to read by hearing his master condemn the education of slaves. Mr. Auld declared that an education would “spoil” him and “forever unfit him to be a slave” (2054). He believed that the ability to read makes a slave “unmanageable” and “discontented” (2054). Douglass discovered that the “white man’s power to enslave the black man” (2054) was in his literacy and education. As long as the slaves are ignorant, they would be resigned to their fate. However, if the slaves are educated, they would understand that they are as fully human as the white men and realize the unfairness of their treatment. Education is like a forbidden fruit to the slave; therefore, the slave owners guard against this knowledge of good and evil. Nevertheless, D...
Although the slaves had families they had no control on whether or not they would stay together. Slaves were sold to different parts of the country in which sometimes they would never see their family members again. Although slavery was accepted, the northern part of America allowed African Americans to be free. This ultimately led to a bloody division between the North and the South. The south led a revolt to go to war against the north, specifically in order to keep their rights to allow slavery.
The possibility of him leaving the slaves who helped him overcome the most recent 19 years of his life profoundly hurt Douglas. Notwithstanding, on September 3rd,1883 Douglass took a leap of faith and escaped slavery successfully. Although Douglass was then a free man, he refused to give up to on fighting for his fellow slaves. According to E-journal Of American studies In Hungary, “Douglass decides to work for his freedom and ensure it through his own agency.”(Bosnicova). Douglass stands up and advocates freedom for
Frederick Douglass’ source, “The Desire for Freedom” was written in 1845. He was born into slavery in 1818 and became an important figure in the fight for abolition. Douglass was also involved in other reform movements such as the women’s rights movement. He “experienced slavery in all its variety, from work as a house servant and as a skilled craftsman in Baltimore shipyard to labor as a plantation field hand” (Pg.207¬). “The Desire for Freedom” was meant to document how his life was within slavery and how his education could someday help him escape it. Douglass meant to speak to American slaves and those who did not really understand slavery in order to help persuade everyone that life was meant to be lived freely. In order to obtain this future, Douglass wrote about his own personal experience and how he believed that enslavers were “in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery” (Pg. 208). This source brings on the idea that slaves were willing to fight back, wanted to be educated, and, most importantly, wanted the chance to live life freely.
The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850. This act required that authorities in the North had to assist southern slave catchers to retrieve and return slaves to their owners. Southerners favored this act because they saw no slavery in the territories to the west, by the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act it would help preserve slavery in the south. This act allowed southern slave owners to get their slaves back when they escaped to the North that is why this act was important and critical to southern survival. The view of this act by the North was the opposite, especially from those who were black, they feared this act. The blacks in the North were terrified that this act would make it so they could be ushered back to the south even if they were innocent. This led to the creation of resistance groups in the North.
The final important turning point in Frederick Douglass’s life is when he escaped. “And finally I succeeded in making my escape from slavery.” (137) Douglass escaped and went to New York he disguised himself as a sailor, and used papers a freed black sailor gave to him to escape. When he got to New York a man named Mr. Ruggle helped him get on his feet because everything was new and strange to him. When Frederick made the choice to run away he became a free man. Running away impacted his life