How Did Fredrick Douglas Experienced As A Slave Holder?

Mr. Douglass had many experiences during his time enslaved that would have been typical for a Southern slave. His early childhood was like most Southern slaves in multiple ways. The master and slave relationship was designed to make slaves feel “… broken in body, mind and spirit” (Douglass, 74). Like all slaves, Mr. Douglass and his fellow slaves “were all ranked together at the valuation. Men and woman, old and young, married and single, were ranked with horses, sheep and swine. There were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children, all holding the same rank in the scale of being, and were all subjected to the same narrow examination” (Douglass, 58). Furthermore, in order to perpetuate a system of inequality slave families would be treated differently than white families. For example, to “hinder development of the child’s affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection” (Douglass, 20). Slave masters

Frederick Douglass, in his narrative, “The Battle with Mr. Covey,” recounts his atrocious former life as a slave. The purpose of Douglass’s narrative is to inform his audience about what slaves experienced on a day-to-day basis. While recounting his experiences, Douglass adopts a methodical tone in order to make his account more comprehensible for the abolitionists. Douglass’s use of rhetorical techniques, such as tone, imagery and diction, help express the many hardships he and many other saves encountered. He incorporates his encounter of being a former slave to help promote his attempt to put an end to 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.

In his narrative, Douglass highly criticizes the hypocritical slave owners who claim to be Christians. He believes a man cannot be both a Christian and a slave owner. He states that religious slave owners are harsher than the ones who aren’t religious. Thomas Auld’s brutality increases after he becomes a “religious” man. His dedication increases his confidence in his “God-given” right to own and abuse slaves. Douglass clarifies in the appendix of the narrative that he was against religious hypocrisy, and not religion itself, for Douglass himself was a very religious man.

In Fredrick Douglass’s a narrative, Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, he narrates an account of his experiences in the dehumanizing institution of slavery. This American institution was strategically formatted to quench any resemblance of human dignity. Throughout, the narration of his life Fredrick Douglas, meticulously illustrates the methodical process that contributed to the perpetual state of slavery. In his narration Douglass, denounces the idea that slaves are inferior to their masters but rather, it’s the dehumanizing process that constructs this erroneous theory. Ultimately, the desires of his consciousness for knowledge ferociously leads him to mental and physical pursuit of his emancipation.

A man of hope and undying perseverance, Frederick Douglass escapes the shackles of slavery into the safety of the North, where he achieves the ultimate dream of the southern slave: freedom. He overcomes his struggles with his identity and knowledge of his past. In his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the cruelty and inhumane ways of slaveholders are depicted in their truest forms through the personal accounts of Frederick Douglass. Douglass is fearful of having to stay as a slave for life and experiences different work under the several masters he served. When Sophia Auld, the wife of Douglass’ master, tries to teach Douglass how to read and write, she is told to stop by her husband because according to Mr. Auld, a slave who reads will develop a desire for freedom. Hearing this, Douglass is determined and hopeful that his ability to read and write will determine his future in slavery or freedom. After many thoughts of doubt, experiences of betrayal, and whip lashings, Douglass finally decides to embark on his escape to freedom on September 3, 1838. Finally in free land in the North, Douglass is filled with distrust and fear of being captured by slaveholders; however, the kindness of Mr. Nathan Johnson allows him to live the rest of his life in freedom.

Douglas tries to change his readers’ beliefs about what it means to be dedicated to the idea that “All men are created equal’’ by explaining the injustices of slavery. One example Douglass writes about is when Colonel Lloyd would whip the slaves that took care of the horses because they either fed them too much or too little or they were too early or too late. According to the narrative, “ If a horse did not move fast enough, or hold his head high enough, it was owing to some fault of its owner.’’ ( Douglass, Chpt.3, Para.3) Colonel Lloyd whips the slaves for things that are out of their control. They can’t control the horse and tell it what to do and it’ll just listen. If it’s one little mistake and the horses aren’t intact, then it's on

He describes her as “a woman of the kindest heart” (Douglass 19). She had never owned a slave before and she treated Douglass like a human being, in a way he had never been treated before. He learned from her, how to read, and he compared her to a gift from God stating “This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise” (Douglass 19). Slavery changed her, and she had to learn how to be mean. Her husband told her she could not teach or be kind to slaves. She could not give a slave an inch, or she would spoil him, and that the only thing a slave should be taught to do was obey his master. Because of this false teaching, Mistress Auld became worse than her husband and fearful she would lose her authority if she was kind and instructed her slaves.

Douglass' descriptions of the cruelty lived by African Americans are filled with horrific details that would touch anyone. He believed that slavery was not only dehumanizing for the slaves, but for the slaveholders as well. Douglass uses as an example the case of Mrs. Sophia Auld. Before she became a slaveholder, she was known to

Frederick Douglass once said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning” (Think Exist). Frederick Douglass, a man born into slavery overcame numerous obstacles to eventually become a chief abolitionist as well as a diplomat. Frederick Douglass got his hands on a book entitled “The Columbian Orator” and introduced himself to the word abolitionist. This sparked his interest and set off a fiery passion for freedom. Douglass realized that slaveholders used ignorance as a tool to enslave their subjects; slaveholders did not want slaves to have the capacities of reading and writing.

Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, provides insight into those who suppressed him due to ignorance which includes his owners and overseers. Although they each played an important part in shaping Douglass and his mindset, Edward Covey was the harshest because he broke Douglass down not only physically but mentally as well. Covey was a slave breaker that was used to correct the behavior of defiant slaves. “My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!” (pg. 38)

During the years Washington was a slave, his masters were exceptionally nice. Washington was always sufficiently fed and not abused. On the contrary, Douglass endured hunger pains most days of the week. He toiled long and hard while the hot southern sun beat down on him. Also, Douglass mentioned on page 7 "Mr. Severe was rightly named: he was a cruel man.

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 the autobiography Frederick Douglass presents a clear picture to me of a horrifying period of American history that far too few people understand. Douglass’s personal narrative as a slave lets you feel the fear of his past and allows us to experience the suffering and pain inflicted by underserved beatings and an unhealthy lifestyle with too much physical exertion. Douglass expresses very personal feelings about his history and helps us to understand the intense hatred and disgust the American slave had for his possessor, and the sickness of hate that allowed human beings to keep other human being as slaves.