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Narrative Analysis Of Frederick Douglass 's Narrative

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She was a field hand, and a whipping is the penalty…”: Black women’s struggles in search of happiness shown in Narrative by Frederick Douglass

Being taken away from your home and family can be one of the hardest things anyone can go through. Having their identities completely taken away and begin to endure a long hard journey of survival were things blacks had to go through in the 1800’s. Narrative by Frederick Douglass is an 1845 memoir that perfectly shows the struggles of a young black man’s journey to survival after being forced into the life of slavery.
Frederick Douglass describes the struggles blacks had to encounter in order to find happiness and freedom. Touching many of the aspects he had to encounter, including the many times…show more content…
Not being privileged enough to know his exact age or birthday made him always wonder how different his life could have been if he could have been if he was white. These were the ones who could know who they were and lived a happy childhood, unlike him.

Not only was his identity taken away from him but also the bond between him and his family. When black slaves gave birth, once their child turned one, they were taken away from their mothers to live with another old woman who was too old for fieldwork. The woman was a complete stranger and become someone like a “grandmother” figure for them. From that point on, children never get to see their mothers again.

Frederick Douglass was taken away from Harriet Bailey, his mother, at a very young age and as explained by Douglass, he never saw his mother as much, enough for him to at least get to know her. The only times he did get to see her were at night. She would walk miles, without any permission, just to see her son. They would lie together and sleep until it was almost time for sunrise. “She was a field hand, and a whipping is the penalty for not being in the field at sunrise..”(Pg. 2)
Never having the chance to enjoy her presence as much as he wanted or care for her when she was ill, Harriet passed away when Frederick was seven. He was not able to be there at her death nor was able to say his goodbyes.
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