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Creation And Reality In Frederick Douglass's Representation Of Self

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Individualism is a fundamental tenet of Romanticism. Romanticism is a movement that reflects the power of the individual and emphasizes the role of emotion and passion in a person’s life. The Romantic ideas of passion and purpose have been woven into the very fabric of American culture. America was founded on the principles of opportunity and self-reliance because the Founding Fathers believed every person has the inherent right to be free to think, make choices, and pursue dreams of their own preference. A person whose life story compellingly reflects individualism is Frederick Douglass. Douglass’s slavery testimony embodies the spirit of American individualism because of his thirst to acquire knowledge (literacy), his tenacity to freely make his own life decisions, and his unrelenting effort to escape the dreadful bondage of slavery. Frederick Douglass’s slavery experiences are uniquely American because of his eagerness to acquire knowledge. Douglass wants to become literate so that he can find work and start to build his own life. When he …show more content…

Covey. He has experienced the horrors of being a slave and is turned over to Mr. Covey to be disciplined. In his article, “Christianity and Individualism: (Re-)Creation and Reality in Frederick Douglass’s Representation of Self,” Donald B. Gibson articulates the significance of the fight between Douglass and Mr. Covey: “… when he turned Douglass over to Covey for ‘breaking,’ that he was in effect creating the conditions that would eventuate in Douglass’s freedom…Douglass prefaces his narration of this noteworthy event, as will be recalled, with this world to the reader: ‘You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man’” (592). This event shaped Douglass’s heart and mind to become more independent and confident. His fight with Mr. Covey transformed him into a prominent leader for the abolition of slavery in the

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Frederick Douglass published two similar versions of his fight with the ‘slave-breaker’ Edward Covey in the tenth chapter of his The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, and in the seventeenth chapter of My Bondage and My Freedom. By comparing the two accounts it is possible to see an evolution of his thoughts on abolishing slavery and person hood which occurred in the years which transpired between the two works, 1845 and 1855. In the first account which Douglass wrote at around the age of 27 he narrates a physical confrontation where he refuses to allow himself to be whipped. Douglass struggles for two hours with Covey and also fights off Covey’s cousin at the same time.

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While Douglass was living with Mr. Freeland, he had taught some of the other slaves who lived there with him to read. Teaching any slave to read came with some very harsh consequences but Douglass wanted to help other slaves learn to read so that when they became free they are able to acquire a job and are also able to “fit into” society once they escape or are set free from the hold of slavery. Also while living with Mr. Freeland, Frederick decided enough was enough and he needed to get out of slavery. Frederick and four other slaves stole Mr. Hamilton’s canoe and attempted to paddle up the Chesapeake Bay. Frederick knew how dangerous this trip could be if they were spotted and sent back to their master but being he had a very defiant spirit, he decided that it would be worth it to try.

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Frederick Douglass’s Hope for Freedom Hope and fear, two contradictory emotions that influence us all, convicted Frederick Douglass to choose life over death, light over darkness, and freedom over sin. Douglass, in Chapter ten, pages thirty-seven through thirty-nine, of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, utilizes various rhetorical techniques and tone shifts to convey his desperation to find hope in this time of misery and suffering. Mr. Covey, who Douglass has been sent to by his master to be broken, has succeeded in nearly tearing all of Douglass’s dreams of freedom away from him. To expound on his desires to escape, Douglass presents boats as something that induces joy to most but compels slaves to feel terror. Given the multiple uses of repetition, antithesis, indirect tone shifts, and various other rhetorical techniques, we can see Douglass relaying to his audience the hardships of slavery through ethos, the disheartening times that slavery brings, and his breakthrough of determination to obtain freedom.

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The Narrative of Frederick Douglass is a very great perspective for people of today to understand what it was like to be a slave in the 1800’s. It tells the story of the slave Frederick Douglass and how he began as an uneducated slave and was moved around from many different types of owners, cruel or nice, and how his and other slaves presences changed the owners, and also how he educated himself and realized that he shouldn’t be treated so poorly It was at the point later in the book that I realized how some slaves might have felt during slavery in the 1800’s. When Douglass is sent away to Mr.Covey he is treated pretty badly but eventually he stands up to Mr.Covey and demands that he stopped being treated like an animal.

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In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass narrates in detail the oppressions he went through as a slave before winning his freedom. In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. We can evidently see that Douglass does not want to describe only his life, but he uses his personal experiences and life story as a tool to rise against slavery. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. Douglass invalidated common justification for slavery like religion, economic argument and color with his life story through his experiences torture, separation, and illiteracy, and he urged for the end of slavery.

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It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a determination to be free” (ch. X). This battle with Covey marks a turning point for Douglass because it reignited the hope he once had and reintroduced to him a sense of strength he thought he had lost. In Douglass’s earlier years as a slave, he held a more optimistic outlook on his situation.

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In his narrative, Frederick Douglass explained the concept of manhood by emphasizing on how one should be acknowledge with their own identities and have their own possession of clothes, shelter, and foods as well as privileges that God has given them. Manhood is an important measurement for Douglass because every man discovers, have desires, and develop passions whenever a man looks into himself or by a mirror of reflection. Throughout his journey as a slave, Douglass observed and experiment the cruciality of mankind when one has the power to take control of their subjects. From Mrs. Auld’s amazing lessons, education has helped him not only able to read and write but also understand the reasons behind slavery existence (Douglass, pg 22-23).

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One way Douglass made his point was by telling a story about how Caroline, a slave of Mr. Covey, was forced into adultery by Mr. Covey. The women in slavery were sometimes bred like animals and “Mr. Covey may be said to have been guilty of compelling his women slave to commit the sin of adultery” (37). Caroline

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Education gives hope for Douglass’s life since he began to truly understand what goes on in slavery. As he figured out more about the topic, his self motivation poured out hope in his life. As Frederick saw an opportunity to become

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In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass's battle with his master Covey is a turning point in his career as a slave in that he resolves to no longer be docile and subservient as a slave. In fighting back against Covey, Douglass frees his mind from the psychological effects of slavery. Douglass's battle with Covey marks the end of Douglass being obedient and not questioning the word of authority like he was brought up to do. Douglass vows that "the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me." (Douglass, 83) By refusing the role of an obedient slave, Douglass also refuses the slave mindset and liberates himself.

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The legendary abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was one of the most important social reformers of the nineteenth century. Being born into slavery on a Maryland Eastern Shore plantation to his mother, Harriet Bailey, and a white man, most likely Douglass’s first master was the starting point of his rise against the enslavement of African-Americans. Nearly 200 years after Douglass’s birth and 122 years after his death, The social activist’s name and accomplishments continue to inspire the progression of African-American youth in modern society. Through his ability to overcome obstacles, his strive for a better life through education, and his success despite humble beginnings, Frederick Douglass’s aspirations stretched his influence through

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Douglass is a African American that was a slave and did a Narrative about his time being a slave and in his Narrative he “threw light” at the American slave system. African American slave Frederick Douglass lived through a time of racism and how slavery was a natural thing to do but was a very awful thing. And slavery is when families who had colored skin were separated and sold of to a person that can do anything to them, the slave is pretty much like the slaveholder’s property. And in this essay I will talk about how Douglass’s position differs from those who supported slavery and also I will be talking about How Douglass used his Narrative to share his position. How Douglass “throws light” on the American Slave system is by showing

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Furthermore, Education opened Douglass’s eyes to the reality of his injustice as a slave; thus, compelling him to action as he recalls, “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity. ”(Douglass, 2014, p.133) Education caused Douglass heartache. While attaining his education benefited Douglass, he could not relate to his fellow slaves. The fellow slaves had the ability to remain content with their current state of being since it was all they had ever known. Douglass knew otherwise and longed for the forbidden life as a free man, as it changed from an unattainable idea into an achievable

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N-e-w B-e-t-f-o-r-d, this what was Fredrick Douglass read when he stepped off the boat to the north. Just reading those words was an accomplishment. In his book The Narrative and Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave he details his experiences where knowledge is very key. Douglass shows how knowledge gained him the ultimate reward of freedom. Knowledge is the path to freedom.

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With this, Douglass is addressing the topic of slavery and whether to abolish it or not. And goes about telling the hardships he went through.

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