Black Men, By Frederick Douglass And Harriet Jacobs

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

The brutality that slaves endured form their masters and from the institution of slavery caused slaves to be denied their god given rights. In the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," Douglass has the ability to show the psychological battle between the white slave holders and their black slaves, which is shown by Douglass' own intellectual struggles against his white slave holders. I will focus my attention on how education allowed Douglass to understand how slavery was wrong, and how the Americans saw the blacks as not equal, and only suitable for slave work. I will also contrast how Douglass' view was very similar to that of the women in antebellum America, and the role that Christianity played in his life as a slave and then

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.

In addition to Jacobs’ account, Douglass’ narrative focused on his journey through manhood and freedom – “…I wished I could be as free as they would be when they got to be men … ‘Have not I as good a right to be free as you have?’” (Douglass, Chapter VII) – as well as, “This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning-point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood.” (Douglass, Chapter X). He had no freedom, but when he decided to fight back against the evil hand of slavery, he found it and made it his own. As a slave, he had no right to freedom, which in turn belittled his own manhood. His fight with Mr. Covey restored his sense of honor, his entitled manhood, as well as a spark of freedom he did not previously have.

For Douglass, masculinity is very much tied up in physical assertion – not unlike the white man’s desire to defend his honor through violent acts of dominance – and he cites two major occasions in his life that were pivotal to his mental (and later physical) transformation from slave to free man: gaining literacy and fighting slavebreaker Edward

The narratives of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglas were nothing short of powerful as their unique resilience reflected a gruesome upbringing that would then influence audiences everywhere. Immediately the reader is introduced to the gendered distinctions in narratives as Douglas has letters and statements of prominent men reinforce the validity of his work while Jacobs is forced to create a pleading tone for acknowledgement of her experience as a female slave. Although slavery was an excruciating experience that unjustly plagued millions of African Americans, gender roles and constructs allowed for distinct offenses that forced women to experience unique abuse relative to their male counterparts. The narratives of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglas reinforced the trials of slavery with examples of educational hardship, physical trauma and differing aspirations of freedom. These factors and a few others such as motherhood and masculinity influenced their legacy in context of slavery as a gendered experience.

Slavery was an embarrassing time in America’s history. In 2016, slavery has become a distant memory. It’s easy for us to admit that slavery is wrong but, in Frederick Douglass’s time no one thought that it was. Frederick Douglass went on to write books and give speeches in hope that one day all slaves would be free. In the book called “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, he attempts to shine light on the American Slave system in the 1800’s.

Douglass prays at the brink of adulthood for the achievement of manhood and the right to governance of his mind and spirit, “God, ... let me be free ... but not a boy ... bound to someone” (Douglass 39). The voice here is the authoritative voice of emotional maturation. What Douglass affirms belongs to his personal experience, channeled through his religion. Douglass’s feelings are not unlike those he described at the end of the book, in an anti-slavery convention, deciding whether an audience binds him to captivity or provokes him to be

“For the present, it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. Is it not astonishing that, while we are ploughing, planting and reaping, using all kinds of mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships, working in metals of brass, iron, copper, silver and gold…that, while we are engaged in all manner of enterprises common to other men…we are called upon to prove that we are men!” (Douglass) During his speech, Douglass elaborated on the different aspects of why blacks have a natural right to freedom as any other human being He argued it is wrong to turn a man into a “brute” and proceeded to argue that slavery is not divine in its origin. Douglass’s speech was a calling for equality, for change. He accomplished his goal and proved the fourth of July was a revolting reminder to him and those like him of the continual inhumane cruelty American attempted to conceal through its mockery.

A slave is viewed as nothing, and that made it easy for people to view them as personal property. As a victim of domestic servitude and forced labor, it only entails that his life will inevitably spiral down into self depression and dismay. Johnson’s assertion regards that the limitations in Douglass’s life would only produce destructive consequences should he disobey or refute his permanent title of a slave. As the child of a system that stips down all self idenitity, it was hard for Douglass to identify himself as anything else but a slave. Life is all about self identification, and when relating Wright to it, Wright could identify himself as a free black man. If Douglass could portray himself as anything else but a negro slave, maybe he could define his life as somewhat purposeful, but his life had no purpose and that made it a worse life to

Fredrick Douglass exemplifies the concept of culture and identity. Douglass was born as a slave on a plantation in Maryland. In the beginning of the story, “Learning to Read and Write” his only knowledge is that of the slave world and their obligations. He knows the land, the families, and the inhumane ways of life as a slave. With the help of his mistress, Douglass was able to obtain basic education such learning to read and write alphabets. The mistress who was once kind and compassionate became “stone” who, according to her husband’s orders stopped educating Douglass. At that instant, Douglass realizes that the skill of powerful whites to control slaves derives not so much from physical control inasmuch as it does from psychological domination. Most White slaveholders were opposed to the education of their slaves because they were afraid that educated slave population would threaten their authority. Moreover, denying slaves an education denied them of the opportunity to find or establish their own self-identification within society. With the help of “the little white boys whom [he] met in the street” Douglass was able to learn how to read and write.

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave details the progression of a slave to a man, and thus, the formation of his identity. The narrative functions as a persuasive essay, written in the hopes that it would successfully lead to “hastening the glad day of deliverance to the millions of [his] brethren in bonds” (Douglass 331). As an institution, slavery endeavored to reduce the men, women, and children “in bonds” to a state less than human. The slave identity, according to the institution of slavery, was not to be that of a rational, self forming, equal human being, but rather, a human animal whose purpose is to work and obey the whims of their “master.” For these reasons, Douglass articulates a distinction

    During the 18th, and 19th centuries of American history, African Americans, and women, have made tremendous strides, in the fight for equality. Without protest demonstrations, collegial debates, persuasive essays, and literature, there are very few methods of getting a point across effectively, and creating progress. When it comes to establishing momentous change during their respective eras, Judith Sargent Murray, (1751-1820) and Frederick Douglass, (1818-1895) can be considered key figures of their time. Judith Sargent Murray, who wrote On The Equality Of The Sexes, published in 1790, and Frederick Douglass’ autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, published in 1845, were crucial works of literature that inspired open minded groups, and later generations, to speak out against an unjust society. Murray’s essay elaborates problems of Institutional discriminations for women, and states that society is to blame for hindering women’s development.  She makes a strong claim that women are equal, (no less inferior) and if provided the same resources to succeed, they would be just as capable as men at performing day to day tasks. Douglass’ piece documents his own life with little filter, and shows to his audience the atrocities, and hardships, of being black, and a slave. He makes the convincing assertion that slavery is cruel, wrong, and must be stopped in order to promote a humane, and freer

Throughout this unit, my classmates have weighed in on what they believe the most important aspect of the Frederick Douglass narrative is, whether it’s his upbring or his writing skills. I’ve decided that although all these points brought up are important, the most important aspect of Frederick Douglass is his maturing as both a slave and a man. When we’re first introduced to Douglass, he opens with a tone of anger and resentment. He states, “I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it...it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.” He continues with, “A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness even during my childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.” This tone of resentment carries through the rest of the novel, but what I believe changes this tone is how Douglass goes from being helpless and not doing anything about his situation, to being proactive and actively looking to fix his state as a slave. The same can be seen in the characteristics of the film and excerpt of 12 Years a Slave.

Douglass, the author of “My Bondage and My Freedom”, a story that looks back on his early life as a young child during slavery, states many of what most of those like him in slavery would think. Douglass wanted to be treated as fair as those above him in society, and be accepted for who he was. He longed to be as free to be as literarily inclined as he wanted to be, along with the “white” division of individuals. Throughout his life he has been, confronted by one of his masters and a few other unmentioned people in his life for having such a