Frederick Douglass: Comparing Washington And Blake

Frederick Douglass was an influential African American author, writing about the realities of African Americans stuck in slavery and the internal as well as external dilemmas they faced, capturing powerful messages within his works. With the sheer truth embedded in carefully written words on such a difficult topic to discuss, Douglass differentiates his work from the other African American writers of his time period. With the pursuit of the abolishment of slavery fueling Douglass’s works, his work The Heroic Slave advocates for unification and selflessness in order for slaves to successfully rebel. Examples of how poorly slaves were treated and their rights for better, much deserved conditions are displayed throughout the written piece to try

Washington’s story and Blake’s story start in similar context, each separately running away to Canada, but facing the personal struggle of leaving loved ones behind. Familial and close ties lead to the two returning and carrying out their own successful slave rebellions. Washington and Blake were educated to some degree and contained strong, authoritative characteristics which helped them gain the followers needed in order to execute the rebellions. With the topic of rebellion, Douglass’s main message was that slavery needed to be completely and utterly terminated; that there was no place for this inhumane oppression forced on blacks by whites anywhere in society. Through his writing about the cruelties of being a slave and the message that slaves have the power to change their conditions in addition to standing up against this unfair system, his purport of

Washington’s monologue is overheard, which is what begins the whole book. His speech to himself is so vulnerable it makes the readers reflect on the situation and the pain the slaves went through. Washington speaks so freely of his emotions, cursing “this working that others may live in idleness! This crying submission to insolence and curses!” and “this living under the constant dread and apprehension of being sold and transferred, like a mere brute,” (The Heroic Slave, 3-4). This is Douglass’s first jab at the slavery system; he was attacking how cruel and inhumane this practice was as well as the faults in the system that whites have chosen to ignore. This practice physically and mentally destroys the people of color forced into the Slave-Trade system. Washington is tired of living in fear due to slavery. Washington felt motivated, saying to himself “Liberty I will have, or die in the attempt to gain it… I have nothing to lose.” (The Heroic Slave, 4). With slavery being so violent and cruel, Washington no longer feared death, he no longer felt the searing fear of the repercussions of escaping during this time