Frederick Douglass Narrative Analysis

Around 1817 a man named Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. He knew very little about himself; due to being a slave the white slave owners did not allow their slaves to know much about themselves. There could be many reasons why they did not allow the slaves to know things such as their birthday and parentage. After reading the narrative I came to the conclusion that the slave owners did not give them this information about themselves because they wanted the slaves to feel worthless, nothing more than property. In the book it reads “ By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to

Knowing something about himself means a great deal to him because it would help him feel more like a person; it would give him comfort and happiness. He even says in the story “A want for information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during my childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.” (Douglass, 12) I understand why not knowing information about himself opposes a great deal on him, no man or women should have their own information taken from them that causes them to feel lesser of a person. It is also said that he knew of who his mother was but was separated from her when he was an infant, he knew his father was a white man but knew nothing of him. It was said that his father was his master, he did not know for sure if this rumor was correct. Besides that he knew nothing of himself. “My father was a white man. He was admitted to be such by all I ever heard speak of my parentage. The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me.” (Douglass,