How Did Frederick Douglass Life Change

1236 Words5 Pages

Frederick Douglass was one of the first African American slaves who fought against the system and became one of the famous American characters which are known even today. His life narrative shows how he transformed himself and influenced the other people with his own understanding of slavery and the ways of revelation. Frederick Douglass corresponds to the term “American Character” as he completely changed his life by re-interpreting his identity, following a virtuous life, and being self-confident; this made him famous and contributed to the national anti-slavery attitude. To begin with, the life of Frederick Douglass represents a process of rapid changes which could be defined as “rags to riches”. In fact, the beginning of his life was concentrated …show more content…

Since his early years, Douglass was opposed to slavery and showed a great self-esteem, especially in comparison with the other slaves who did not have such strong urge to protect themselves. After obtaining the reading skills, Douglass did not stop reflecting on the unfairness of the system he lived in. Indeed, Douglass himself wrote about his beliefs and regarded himself as a supporter of the rights of slaves but this was after the process of his regret, emotional loss, and inability to find the reasons for living, “I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed” (Douglass 36). Even during the time of despair, Douglass thought that he must be freed from the whole life of a slave. Apart from this, after he became free, this man was confident enough to talk to the white people and did not face the inner willingness to be too pleasing. His whole life, from the conflicts with his owners to the work as a fighter for the rights of African Americans, was the revelation of his …show more content…

He was regarded as one of the most influential people of his time although his own attitude to his role in the anti-slavery struggle was rather distant. Actually, many people did not believe that Douglass had been a slave previously. He became so politically influential that his depiction of slavery was considered as universal at that time (Lahure 76). He was the authority in the representation of the African Americans from cultural, social, and political perspectives. In general, he reshaped the perception of the institution of slavery and this made him famous on the whole territory of the U.S. and beyond its