Two Sides to the Story In Frederick Douglass’ book A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass he speaks about the things he has endured as a slave. He states the negative effects of slavery for slaves. Not only does he state the effects for the slaves he also states the effects on the slaveholders. Even though he hated slavery he never blamed the slaveholders for the way things were. He knew that the slaveholders were faced with challenges just like slaves.
When Douglass was a child we was owned by the Aulds. Mrs.Auld had grown fond of Douglass, and began to each him how to read. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read because it could lead to them running away, but Mrs.Auld taught him anyway. When Mr.Auld found out he demanded her to stop teaching him. In chapter VI Douglass says “Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C.” This shows the reader that not everyone treated slaves badly. When Mr.Auld found out he said to Mrs.Auld “Now’ he said ‘If you teach a nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him.” This tells the reader that if slaves could read that they could figure out a way to run away. This is stated in
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In chapter VII Douglass says “She finally became more violent in her opposition than her husband himself.” After Mr.Auld talk to Mrs.Auld she became aware on how slaves were to treated, and began to treat them in that manner. Even though Douglass did not enjoy being treated this way he never once blamed Mrs.Auld for it. In chapter VII Douglass tells the reader what happened to the kind hearted Mrs.Auld. Douglass says “Under the influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness. Douglass knows that Mrs.Auld is not to blame for how she is treating the slaves. He knew that slavery took kind hearted people and turned them into these stone hearted