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Frederick Douglass Research Paper

1607 Words7 Pages

Dr. Kamal
American Prose and Fiction
1st April 2016
Narrative of Frederick Douglass:
Life and psychology of Douglass and American slaves in general
Frederick Douglass’s narrative chronicles his youth that ended soon after he fled slavery at about twenty. This autobiography focuses on the incidents in his life that clearly stand out in terms for their demonstration of brutal treatment of all American slaves; moreover they illustrate his ability to endure and scrape through such cruel conditions with his humanity intact. The narrative begins with Douglass as a slave in both body and mind. Douglass pens down this narrative both to establish his identity, and to bring out his condemnation of slavery to the world. The events he recalls are pivotal …show more content…

At several times over the course of the narrative, the reader can’t help but empathize and feel the pain and hurt Douglass goes through. In one instance, he describes how as a child he was unable to remember the simplest things such as his age. “The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. (1.1) He describes how the masters benefited from this ignorance. “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 to keep their slaves thus ignorant” (p. 21). This is cruelty of American slave culture at its …show more content…

They were considered substandard and objectified by the whites in every frame of life. As for early public opinion on the mental aptitude of blacks, the words of Thomas Jefferson (1787/1972) spoke for many: "Blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind" (p. 143). Many early white Americans viewed blacks as un-evolved, inferior beings; that is, as less than human, physically impervious to pain, and mentally unfit for abstract or creative thought (Plous and Williams 796). In the narrative we see the kind of mental, physical and psychological torture Frederick is subjected to by the slave-breakers. The fact that the masters needed professional ‘breakers’ to discipline their slaves is sickening

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The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass delves insightfully within the life of a slave, revealing the natures of power and how it affects those who are incapable of handling it properly. In this record, Douglass demonstrates that the system of slavery not only pulverizes the slave, but also the slaveholders. The power that the slaveholders possess, one which is devoid of responsibility, has a dehumanizing impact on them; annihilating their ethics and sense of self-conviction. It breaks the frailest hearts and finest emotions transforming them into those of a devil.

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At this point, the author appeals to his pathos by using his emotional language about being a slave not just until twenty one years old

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Douglass begins uses paradox to show how slavery was inhuman by acknowledging how slave overseers treated the slaves when did wrong or doing what was not told by them. ‘’ He would whip her to make her scream and whip her to make her hush. ’’(page 5). Douglass appeals

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Douglass exposes the realities of slavery in many different ways. Douglass stated, “I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never seen any authentic record containing it”(Douglass Narrative of the Life... 32). This quote reflects on Douglass being separated from his

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Annotated bibliography Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.

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Slavery in Douglass’s Narrative is portrayed as a destructive force which affects every aspect of life it touches. Despite being a slave, Douglass was able to acquire the enough knowledge that allowed him to consider his position as well as the positions of other slaves and slaveholders. From his point of view both slaves and slaveholders are devastated and utterly changed by slavery. He managed to give several examples on how the white slaveholders were morally and psychologically corrupted under this institution. Ironically, these white slaveholders refused the abolition of slaves despite being corrupted by slavery themselves.

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When Mrs. Auld teaches Frederick Douglass how to read, he realizes that the road to freedom correlates with education. However, Douglass learns this through Mr. Auld’s refusal to allow his wife to teach Douglass literacy. Auld explains to his wife, “It would forever unfit him to be a slave” (VI.409). Overhearing this, Frederick understood why masters have so much control over their slaves. They inflicted not only physical, but also mental brutality.

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Another example of elderly slave abuse was the murder of an unnamed old man who belonged to Colonel Lloyd. This old man strayed into another owner’s water while looking for oysters as additional food. Without telling the slave to go back to his land, Beal Bondly shot him in the water. (p. 15)The age of the person did not change the beatings or abuse of the slave

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The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass shows the imbalance of power between slaves and their masters. In his book, Douglass proves that slavery is a destructive force not only to the slaves, but also for the slaveholders. “Poison of the irresponsible power” that masters have upon their slaves that are dehumanizing and shameless, have changed the masters themselves and their morality(Douglass 39). This amount of power and control in contact with one man breaks the kindest heart and the purest thoughts turning the person evil and corrupt. Douglass uses flashbacks that illustrate the emotions that declare the negative effects of slavery.

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The story of Frederick Douglass’ is one of the most gruesome stories ever written in American literary history. The narrative goes in-depth about how the process of slavery was. It talks about how people would get whipped for the smallest of issues, dying if they resist enough, and even the process of the slave trade. It even shows how people become very different after the entire system of slavery gets into their minds. Through his powerful narrative, Frederick Douglass demonstrates how slavery dehumanizes not only the enslaved but also the enslaver, as it strips individuals of their basic humanity and perpetuates a system of cruelty and oppression.

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The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass places a tone of someone who is emotionally overcome by struggles to free himself, mentally and physically, from slavery. The issue focused on is when Douglass overhears his master stating, “if you teach a nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him”; he begins to suspect that if slaves managed to educate themselves, it would be impossible to stop them from becoming free, therefore, acknowledging that education is slavery’s damaging effect on slaveholders but more importantly, slavery exists not because the masters are better than their slaves, but because they keep their slaves ignorant. Subsequently, what his master dreaded, is what he desired the most and with that he recognizes knowledge

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Douglass managed to overcome the maltreatment of his wretched slave owners through the eventual attainment of freedom. The injustice imposed upon the African-American slaves by their owners was the crux of Douglass’s motivation to escape this inhumane life. Adolescents in today’s society could use Frederick’s determination as an example of moving forward to better oneself or one’s situation regardless of

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Birthdays are a big part of what makes a kid’s life, and knowing when your birthday is very important. Douglass has no idea when his birthday is or how old he is and he knows that the white boys know their birthdays and he is bewildered by the fact they can know theirs but he can not know his. He feels they are superior to him only because they know such things and he does not. “The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell

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Because of this, he successfully creates a contrast between what the slave owners think of and treat the slaves and how they are. Douglass says that slave’s minds were “starved by their cruel masters”(Douglass, 48) and that “they had been shut up in mental darkness” (Douglass, 48) and through education, something that they were deprived of, Frederick Douglass is able to open their minds and allow them to flourish into the complex people that they are. By showing a willingness to learn to read and write, the slaves prove that they were much more than what was forced upon them by their masters.

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Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, separated from his mother at birth. Douglass from the time of his birth, was subjected to the harsh civil injustices and racism prevalent in the 19th century in the United States. By writing details of his life in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass one is able to receive a firsthand account of the harrowing struggles he faces while being in captivity such as having poor living conditions, and experiencing physical punishment at the smallest rule infraction. Douglass is not seen as a person, but rather property, not even aware of the day he was born, “I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it” (Douglass 1). At this time, black Americans

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