An Analysis of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

Picture this going through life without the ability to read or write. Without these abilities, it is impossible for a person to be a functioning member of society. In addition, imagine that someone is purposely limiting your knowledge to keep a leash on your independence. Not only is an American slave raised without skills in literacy, he cannot be taught to read unless someone breaks the law. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the reader is given a detailed explanation of why slave masters keep their slaves ignorant and the effects such a strategy has on the slaves’ lives. In his autobiography, Douglass describes how the knowledge he obtains has substantial positive and negative effects on his psyche. He is given renewed passion and hope for freedom while struggling with the burden of enlightenment of his situation. Ultimately, however, education shapes his fate, and he achieves freedom and prominence as an advocate for abolition.

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass explains, in great detail, how slave master would use a variety of methods to dehumanize slaves located on their plantation. These methods involved both severe physical and psychological trauma. Nevertheless, Douglass remains diligent and finds a way to resist the harsh reality of being a slave. Because of his immovable desire to acquire knowledge to his fighting encounter with Mr. Covey, these experiences help shape Douglass to be the archetype of what it means to go from slavery to freedom. This essay will highlight the physical and psychological tactics used on slaves. In addition, the aspect of how Douglass resists the

The white southerners have grown up with the idea that enslaving black men and tearing them down is alright since they have the idea that African American people are not real humans. Without the African Americans stating how they view slavery as unjust and cruel, it is doubtful those ideas would ever change. As stated at the end of previous chapter, Douglass began to teach other slaves how to read the Bible, and that, later on, led to the plans of escaping to freedom. “The week before our intended start, I wrote several protections, one for each of us.” (95) When people see African Americans reading or writing in public away from any plantation, most people assume they are free slaves, since it is common knowledge that teaching a slave how to read is illegal. When Douglass finally took the chance to escape after the first attempt was revealed and he was sent to a different plantation, he fled to New York and New Bedford and almost immediately joined a conference about black equality. He was the only fugitive slave out of all of the other men in the room, so his input and memories were crucial to the

In the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave, written by himself, the author argues that slaves are treated no better than, sometimes worse, than livestock. Douglass supports his claim by demonstrating how the slaves were forced to eat out of a trough like pigs and second, shows how hard they were working, like animals. The author’s purpose is to show the lifestyle of an American slave in order to appeal to people’s emotions to show people, from a slave’s perspective, what slavery is really like. Based on the harsh descriptions of his life, Douglass is writing to abolitionist and other people that would sympathize and abolish slavery.

After about nine chapters detailing his slave life, he says, “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.” (Douglass, 75) He then goes on to describe the turning point for him that sparked his quest for freedom. By structuring his narrative this way, he reveals both sides- how slavery broke him “in body, soul, and spirit” (Douglass, 73) and how it eventually “rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom” within him (Douglass, 80). In doing so, he gives the reader an insight into how he became himself, and reinforces the evils of slavery in the way it shapes a man’s life. Douglass’ use of diction and structure effectively persuades the reader of the barbarity and inhumanity that comes as a result of slavery.

Many people believe that Christians played a great role in abolishing slavery. However, Douglass’ ideas about religion and its connection to slavery shine a light on the dark side of Christianity. Douglass’ account of his own life is a very eloquent first hand retelling of the suffering and cruelty that many slaves were going through. His account gives a detail of the ills that were committed against the slaves. The atrocities committed by the various different masters varied in intensity depending on the masters’ individual personality (Glancy 42). This first hand narrative gives us a glimpse in to the connection between religion (Christianity) and slavery.

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the dehumanization of slaves often occurs, as white plantation owners view slaves as objects undeserving of humane treatment in order to uphold power and warrant their unjust practices. Limiting knowledge and prohibiting education for African Americans was one strategy common among slave owners, as “it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant” (17). Due to their lack of intellect, slaves could not recognize the injustices of the slavery system and had little chances of escaping. When Mrs. Auld attempts to teach Frederick Douglass how to read and write, Mr. Auld claims, “A n***** should know nothing but to obey

Amongst the injustice and brutality of slavery is the exclusion of education and knowledge. The slaveholder would tactically deprive the slaves of any knowledge because it would expose them of slavery’s injustice. This act dehumanized the slaves to a great extent, and at the same time forbade them to pursue any form of freedom, physically or spiritually. Hugh Auld, Douglass’s master reasoned that “it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read” and believed “If you have a nigger an inch, he will take an ell.” (Douglass 40, 41) Auld advocated his reasoning by calling a slave “unmanageable,” “unhappy,” and “discontented” if enlightened. Douglass however understood differently. The withdrawal of literacy and knowledge, he believed, was one of the greater factors keeping blacks inferior to whites in society. The Narrative also documents the many physiological effects of slaveholding. Douglass carefully explains the masters whipping their slaves when they least deserve it, and overlooking their deeds when they most deserve it. The killing of a slave is also considered the least of an offense or crime, and is simply gone

In his autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass describes in detail the hardships and unjust acts that were imposed upon African American slaves. In the narrative, Douglass communicates that reading and writing are the fundamental keys to obtaining freedom, understanding, and becoming self-aware. Most slaves were illiterate and had limited knowledge of the injustices that they faced. Douglass’ intelligence was significant due to the fact that he realized much about the world that his fellow slaves did not. Douglass asserts his argument by explaining in detail what privations him and other slaves around him faced. Through the use of ethical, pathetic, and logical appeals, Douglass argues that literacy is one of the few abilities that can break the barrier of ignorance. His argument is significant due to the fact that it communicates the concept that education is a step towards liberation from oppression and prejudices. Furthermore, Douglass proposes change for society and racism in his era and for future generations.

It proved to be true and is played out as Douglass finally acts out violently. It is by far in the best interest of the slave owner to keep the slaves ignorant of concepts of freedom or education because it might not only make them wistful, and thoughtful, but by proxy, less useful to them as slaves. In order to keep slavery as a stable institution, it was important for many of the slave owners in the text to make educating a slave something that could be punished. Well-meaning slave owners were heavily criticized for assisting a slave in his or her education and the fact that it was illegal to teach a slave to read indicates the danger the white slave-owning establishment sees as inherent to education.  In other words, by their fierce protection of the practices of education, the slave owners were admitting that through education there is some kind of freedom, some way of circumventing their absolute power.

In 1845, Frederick Douglass published his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Since then, it has become one of the seminal works of pre-Antebellum America. Douglass was a prominent speaker and abolitionist in 19th Century America, and was a key figure in securing the end of slavery in the United States. In his narrative, Douglass gives us an accurate depiction of what life was like as a slave, his path to freedom, and his life immediately following his escape from bondage. Douglass’ narrative helps inform modern day readers how former slaves experienced their new freedom, and just how meaningful that experience was.

The power of education featured in the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” was one, if not, the most important theme that took part in his narrative. Frederick Douglass understood that the only path to become free for himself and other slaves was through learning to read and write and by having a solid education background to build on. However, Douglass was disgusted because by having an understanding of knowing how to read and write, he finally knew the extent of the horrors of slavery. Therefore, slaveholders used different tactics to keep this from happening, decreasing the confidence of slaves to act freely in a mannerly way.

In the book, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass outlines the disturbing effects that slavery induced on society. Slaves were dehumanized, ripped from their homes and sentenced to a life of harsh work, and harsher treatment. Slaves were held at their slaveholder’s mercy, beaten, whipped, and killed for being disobedient or performing in an unsatisfactory manner. The treatment of Douglass and fellow slaves shows what the grim reality of a slave looked like because of these evil people, but involves a glance at the horrible doings and effects slavery had on society. Slavery corrupted all aspects of both slave owners’ and slaves lives the same, but the greatest impact precedes the concept of family and influence of religion during times of slavery.

In his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass recounts his experience from a small child born into slavery on a plantation to his eventual escape from the horrendous world of slavery. During his time as an enslaved person, he witnessed countless brutality upon the enslaved people from the hands of their masters. A lot of people may have seen movies or have heard about the suffering of enslaved people endured but none is as vivid as the firsthand accounts that Douglass tells. He goes in depth into details regarding his life as a young boy to moving from different slaveholders, the people that touched his life, the people who left marks, the people who influenced his thinking, and the people and

“Education and slavery were incompatible with each other.” Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, in 1818 it was a crime for a slave to be able to read and write, teach or learn. The penalty was death for the slave and even worse for the person who was caught teaching them no matter the situation. Frederick Douglass yearned to learn, once he was bitten by the learning bug. He sought to learn when ever and where ever he