Frederick Douglass Childhood

The Narrative Life Of Frederick Douglass written by the former slave himself, Frederick Douglass, was published in 1845. Douglass published his Narrative to demonstrate and share the evil side of slavery. In his Narrative Douglass writes about his life and his experiences as a slave and his life after escaping enslavement. He uses his experiences of being deprived to learn how to be literate, witnessing cruelty of slaveowners and slaves towards themselves. to rebuke the so called, “romantic image” of slavery in the 1800’s.

The majority of people carried a notion of the idea that slavery was a marvelous idea that should never die. In this Narrative Douglass disapproves that beautiful image that everyone seemed to develop. As a young child Douglass

20) When Douglass is discussing how he was parted from his mother at an early age to prevent the mother from gaining affection, he is trying to demonstrate the cruelty of slave owners. How could someone have the heart and the audacity to separate a young child from their mother? Only slave owners. Douglass’s mother would escape in the night to go visit Douglass. Although he never had the chance to view the complexion of his mother, he loved her. The affection Douglass and his mother had for each other shows endearment, thus proving that whites are not the only ones with genuine feelings of attachment and love. Douglass mentions the first time he witnessed a brutal whipping of another slave, and it was his Aunt Hester. He depicts a very cruel image in the reader’s mind, using very descriptive details on the whipping of his aunt. He stated “Before he commenced to whipping Aunt Hester, he took her into the kitchen, and stripped her from the neck to the waist, leaving her neck, shoulders, and back entirely naked.” (pg 24) Douglass demonstrates yet again the non merciful consideration of the slave owners. In the Narrative Douglass states “....It struck me with

Slaves are not as ignorant as everyone depicts them to be. Douglass finally realizes that slave holding is not a natural way of life when he encounters Mr. Auld. Douglass wants to become literate and Mrs. Auld helps him, when Mr. Auld finds out that his own wife is helping a slave he says it is unlawful. “He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master.” (pg. 81) At this very moment Douglass realizes that Mr. Auld becomes the reason he is determined to learn to read and write. This shows Douglass’s capability of intelligence, he wants to prove a point and help other slaves and the trapped minds of others be free from the horrors of slavery. In chapter 10, Douglass states “Henry and John were quite intelligent and in very little while after I went there, I succeeded in creating them a strong desire to learn how to read.”(pg. 87) When Douglass is on his train ride to freedom he meets John and Henry Harris, Douglass quickly sparks the desire of learning to read for John and Henry.

When Douglass finally escapes the terror of slavery, physically and mentally, he found the opportunity to learn to read and write. A couple of young boys teach him in exchange of food, after learning fairly enough Douglass is inspired to write all his experiences as a slave and publish it. Thanks to this narrative Douglass probably