The auto-biography “An American Slave” of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass is about the life of a life of a slave who eventually became free due to his advantage of education. Douglass discussed his experience of being born into slavery and escaping and becoming the symbol of strength and hero he is known as today. He, in detail, explains how contradicting the Constitution and the actual society in that time period were to each other.
Douglass’ purpose of writing this novel was to not only tell his story but to also express his attitudes towards the “American Promise” and the “American Individual”. In the novel Douglass used similes, metaphors and imagery to convey his personal attitudes about the American
Promise and the American Individual
…show more content…
Douglass is also expressing the mental affect that her mistreatment had on him. On the same page Douglass wrote, “Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities.
Under its influence, the tender heart became stone…” (pg.66). In this metaphor Douglass conveys how the power of slavery made his mistress become cruel. He’s also saying how slavery not only affects slaves, but slave holders as well.
In the novel Douglass uses imagery to convey his experiences in slavery. In the text
Douglass writes, “Never having enjoyed to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care” (pg. 43). Douglass is explaining how he did not get the chance to experience the natural and/or normal relationship children have with their mothers when he was a child. He is also demonstrating how his slave master stripped him of something mostly all human children experience.
In sum, Douglass wrote an auto-biography that explains his experience during slavery and his life after he escaped. His purpose as to writing this novel was to not only share his story but to also inform the readers that the white Americans of his time period were hypocrites