ipl-logo

Frederick Douglass Theme Of Dehumanization Essay

652 Words3 Pages

How did slavery continue to exist despite its inhumane practices? The method of dehumanization demoted a slave’s societal status, therefore deeming blacks inferior to their white counterparts. Furthermore, plantation owners masked inhumanity by declaring themselves Christian although opposing religious values. Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, develops the themes of dehumanization and religion that help readers understand the techniques slave owners utilized to alleviate their guilt, condone their malice toward slaves, and preserve their supremacy over colored people in Southern society.
In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the dehumanization of slaves often occurs, as plantation owners view slaves as undeserving of humane treatment in order to uphold power and warrant unjust practices. Limiting knowledge for African …show more content…

Furthermore, both ideals showcase easing one’s guilt to continue the ruthless treatment of slaves. Dehumanization, the most impactful theme in Douglass’s narrative, provides an image of the horrors of slavery, as the barbarity Douglass experiences while working for Mr. Covey shows how slaves were dehumanized by excessive labor and punishments. Douglass states, “I was broken in my body, soul, and spirit...behold a man turned into a brute” (63). Moreover, the laws involving treatment of slaves showed that many viewed slaves undeserving of basic rights, as “killing a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime” (34). The theme implements readers with the powerful insight that many would be unable to perpetuate the cruelty needed to keep slavery intact without

Show More
Related

Frederick Douglass Paradox Analysis

161 Words | 1 Pages

Douglass uses paradox to demonstrate that slavery degragrates the slaverholder. When Douglass under Mr. Sever’s care he described that: “He was less cruel, less profane… He whipped, but seemed to take no pleasure in it. ”(Douglass 24). Most slaveholders are characterized to be cruel and inhuman because of the whipping and the way they treated the slaves.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of The Fourth Of July

540 Words | 3 Pages

To further undermine the morals and values of the white civilians, Douglass calls into question how the white population can declare themselves human when they are demoralizing and abusing the vulnerable African Americans as if they do not carry any innate human ethics such as the fair treatment of others, pointing out the discrepancy in the white, American character. Therefore, this causes the white audience to reevaluate their stand point on the ethical righteousness of slavery, as their morality is challenged and the principles of equality and natural rights, embedded in the Declaration, contradict with their slave-holding

Read More

Does Frederick Douglass Create An Image Between True And False Christianity

450 Words | 2 Pages

The corrupt and irresponsible power that the slave owners use and endure over their slaves is detrimental and has a massive effect on the slave owners’ own moral health. The theme helps the image of slavery as seen by Douglass’ explaining it as beyond natural for the victims involved. Douglass also describes a behavioral pattern that slaveholders have as it portrays the hurting effect of slavery. He points to how many slave-owning men have been tempted to pursue adultery and rape, becoming fathers of the born children with their female slaves. Such action and deceit threatens the unity of the slave owner’s family.

Read More

Explain How Douglass Empowerment After The Dehumanization Of Slaves

372 Words | 2 Pages

1. One way slave owners would dehumanize their slaves was by not telling them their birthdays. Douglass was never told when his birthday was, but he would see the white kids celebrating their birthdays. Understandably, Douglass felt disconcerted about not knowing when his birthday was because it made him feel unimportant and dehumanized. Another way slave owners dehumanized slaves was through physical acts of aggression.

Read More

Turning Point In Frederick Douglass

633 Words | 3 Pages

In Frederick Douglass’s book, he writes accounts of his time in slavery and beyond. Throughout the book, Douglass writes about not only the physical hardships slaves endured, but the mental and emotional hardships as well. In Chapter X, Douglass describes a battle he had with a temporary slave owner named Mr. Covey. After the fight concludes, Douglass writes, “This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Rebunk The Myth Of Slavery

814 Words | 4 Pages

In the 1700-1800’s, the use of African American slaves for backbreaking, unpaid work was at its prime. Despite the terrible conditions that slaves were forced to deal with, slave owners managed to convince themselves and others that it was not the abhorrent work it was thought to be. However, in the mid-1800’s, Northern and southern Americans were becoming more aware of the trauma that slaves were facing in the South. Soon, an abolitionist group began in protest, but still people doubted and questioned it.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Hypocrisy Essay

1049 Words | 5 Pages

Group Essay on Frederick Douglass “That this little book may do something toward throwing light on the American slave system”, and that Frederick Douglass does in his eponymous autobiography. Douglass throws light by dispelling the myths of the slave system, which received support from all parts of society. To dispel these myths Douglass begins to construct an argument composed around a series of rhetorical appeals and devices. Douglass illustrates that slavery is dehumanizing, corrupting, and promotes Christian hypocrisy. Using telling details, Douglass describes the dehumanizing effects of the slave system which condones the treatment of human beings as property.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Use And Abuse Of Power Essay

498 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More

What Is The Life Of Frederick Douglass Dehumanized

843 Words | 4 Pages

In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass depicts his life through emotional, physical, and mental abuse by these slaveholders. Both the slave and the slaveholders are affected in dehumanization. One can coincide with Douglass that slavery had dehumanized both slaves and their slave holders. The slave and slaveholder are making actions based upon false truth.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Negative Effects On Slaves

753 Words | 4 Pages

Frederick Douglass’s narrative provides a first hand experience into the imbalance of power between a slave and a slaveholder and the negative effects it has on them both. Douglass proves that slavery destroys not only the slave, but the slaveholder as well by saying that this “poison of irresponsible power” has a dehumanizing effect on the slaveholder’s morals and beliefs (Douglass 40). This intense amount of power breaks the  kindest heart and changes the slaveholder into a heartless demon (Douglass 40). Yet these are not the only ways that Douglass proves what ill effect slavery has on the slaveholder. Douglass also uses deep characterization, emotional appeal, and religion to present the negative effects of slavery.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Dehumanization

1647 Words | 7 Pages

Dehumanization of both slaves and slave owners must occur for slavery to exist. Slavery harms everyone involved, including the slaveholders who superficially seem to profit from the arrangement. Douglass’s narrative acknowledges the damage inflicted on both sides of the institution of slavery, emphasizing that a human being’s personality and disposition form per the laws and socially acceptable practices exhibited within the society. Douglass has an excellent example how he seen with his own eyes how his mistress became demonized when she became an owner of a slave. Douglass became Mrs. Auld's first salve owner and at the begging when they first met “she [was] of the kindest heart and finest feelings” (38).

Read More

Essay On Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

973 Words | 4 Pages

Thus, in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass is able to represent slaves as dehumanized property with the sole purpose of working their masters land until the day they die. Douglass also successfully represents slaves as intelligent people who wish to learn and begin to see the world for themselves, not through the eyes of a slave master. Douglass illustrated both sides of the spectrum of slave life, being deprived of knowledge and having, although against the rules, access to material to learn, to provide a distinction between how slaves are handled and how they truly

Read More

The Narrative Of Frederick Douglass: Historical Context Of Racism

373 Words | 2 Pages

“The Narrative of Frederick Douglass” displays many historical context of racism. African-Americans were discriminated and dehumanized as animals. This persuaded other Americans of considering racism as a natural law that was encouraged to partake in. Racism in the United States was invented partly to justify that African-Americans were enslaved partly because of their physical differences from whites. Douglass became grew tiresome with racism.

Read More

Dehumanization In Solomon Northup's Twelve Years A Slave

1428 Words | 6 Pages

The dehumanization Solomon Northup experienced after being kidnapped and forced into slavery was rampant throughout the institution of slavery as a whole. If anything, dehumanization was a vital and fundamental aspect of enslavement, a key characteristic in the perpetuation and expansion of the system. It was a tactic predominantly utilized by white slave owners to separate themselves from their slaves, to further engrain the notion of white supremacy into an already racially split society. Northup’s experiences, which he detailed in his book Twelve Years A Slave, only served to amplify the light shed on the atrocities committed during the antebellum era, and the points he made and examples he gave of the dehumanization that occurred bolstered the argument that dehumanization wasn’t only a physical attack, but in fact reached deeper. Throughout his book, Northup provided numerous instances of how dehumanization within slavery occurred outside of physical violence and assault, and could instead be seen in the restriction of

Read More

Rhetorical Devices In Frederick Douglass

631 Words | 3 Pages

Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis Essay The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Frederick Douglass himself, is a brutally honest portrayal of slavery’s dehumanizing capabilities. By clearly connecting with his audience’s emotions, Douglass uses numerous rhetorical devices, including anecdotes and irony, to argue the depravity of slavery. Douglass clearly uses anecdotes to support his argument against the immorality of slavery. He illustrates different aspects of slavery’s destructive nature by using accounts of not only his own life but others’ alsoas well.

Read More

More about Frederick Douglass Theme Of Dehumanization Essay

Related Topics

Open Document