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How Does Douglass Illustrate The Dehumanization Of African American

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In “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” Frederick Douglass recounts his journey from slavery to freedom, providing a powerful firsthand account of the brutalities and injustices faced by African Americans in the 19th century United States. The narrative sheds light on the dehumanization of enslaved individuals, the struggles of not giving up on their rights, and the importance of education during a period in American history. He has provided historical phrases in his narrative that shed light on his experience as a slave and helps the reader have an understanding of how slaves as well as him were treated. These phrases have helped readers be able to picture the cruelty enslaved individuals had to endure. In chapter one, there are …show more content…

One of the reasons why masters had no consequences for the torture of slaves was because of the approval that the “Barbadian law gave masters the right to kill a slave”(Block 3). Although slaves would face torture on a daily basis, they kept fighting for their rights. Douglass mentions “I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” (Douglass 77). This quote emphasizes the idea that action is necessary to notice change in justice. Changes couldn’t be done if there were no source of action, as mentioned in an article “the exercise of freedom of speech and assembly was essential to the success of abolitionism”(Vile). Apart from keeping slaves from freedom, they were also kept away from education. For instance, in chapter 7 it is mentioned that “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”(Douglass 32). Education for slaves worked as liberation, as they could no longer be fooled. Masters tried their best to keep slaves from learning but failed to, as Kim expressed “slave did, in fact, learn to read and through this learning, they developed new strategies to gain

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In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave: Written by Himself, the author suggests that no one can be enslaved if he or she has the ability to read, write, and think. Douglass supports his claim by first beginning the book with saying he does not know dates and can not read or write and secondly, when his master forbade his wife from teaching Douglass to read. Douglass's purpose is to show that slaves are treated unrightfully and to get the prominent leaders in America's society to acknowledge the book and make changes by abolishing slavery. Based on this autobiography, Douglass is writing the leaders of America that have the power to make changes.

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If a slave could learn how to read or write, they could create a plan to escape. The slaveholders only traded their slaves when it benefitted them, the slaves did not have a say so. The only way they were disloyal was when they tried to escape. When it came to holidays, the slaveholders did not tell them that they should have the time off, being that it was a holiday. They all gathered around and joked about their ignorance towards it. Douglass seemed to see through all of the slaveholder’s doings. He was determined to get away

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My natural elasticity was crushed... the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me” (Douglass 39). The point to remember, is the horrendous conditions slaves are subjected to is unfathomable for most and has become dehumanizing; it should only be expected for Douglass to act as he did against the violent attack.

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Slave masters prefered to keep their slaves benighted using their tortuous methods than allow them the chance to improve

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It was the slave owners job to make slaves feel unwanted, and worthless. Douglass soon realized that learning how to read and write would guide him from ignorance and darkness to knowledge furthermore brilliance. Through expanding his mind and attaining a full realization of his capabilities, he realized he was not meant to be a slave and endeavored to free himself from bondage. Suddenly became fit to be a knowledgeable slave; however, there was some down

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He also stated, "To make a contented slave, you must make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate his power of reason"(Douglass Narrative of the Life... 64). This quote underlines the strategies put into play by slave owners to maintain and maintain control. This quote analyzes the defeat of the moral and intellectual development of slaves. Douglass indirectly calls for the end of slavery.

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During the 1800s slaves comprised most of the economy in the Southern part of the United States, forcefully taken from their countries to serve as tools in the homes of others, and deprived of education and knowledge of their lives. Because of the free labor provided, many disagreed with the abolishment of slavery and argued to keep slavery in the system. Mr. Auld, a slave master states, “A slave should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do.” This quote gives an example of the cruelty slaves were forced to tolerate, and how they were brainwashed to follow every command like a dog to his wretched owner. In the Narrative of a Life of Fredrick Douglass, Douglass was forced to endure the cruel commands of his master, while

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Throughout history, many different races have been oppressed, but none more than the African-Americans. Black Americans have been subjugated by the color of their skin for hundreds of years. However, by disobeying his “master”, Mr. Covey, Frederick Douglass was able to achieve freedom. Douglas depicts his fight for freedom in his autobiography, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass. After being enslaved his whole life, separated from his parents and abused for years, he was able to stand up to his oppressor, disobey him, and become free.

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Douglass points to the vast unwillingness from the group of whites that refuses to fully perceive and accept African-Americans as deserving and equal citizens of the nation. Based on his personal experiences as a slave, Douglass is abundantly aware that the battle to abolish slavery is not an easy task. For the first twenty years of his life, he witnessed firsthand the abject cruelty of that institution in our country. Tactfully, Douglass seizes this opportunity to publicly highlight the unmerited and coarse differences in the treatment between the whites as opposed to the blacks living in the United States during this time period. He makes a “powerful testaments to the hypocrisy, bigotry and inhumanity of slavery” (Bunch 1).

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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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“I have observed this in my experience of slavery, – that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom.” Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, this autobiography was published in 1845. Frederick a prominent abolitionist figure was the first black “public intellectual.” At a time where many slaves were illiterate and prohibited to learn how to read and write, Douglass, despite being forbidden to do so by his master (Hugh Auld), managed to learn to read and write. His narrative has very astounding vocabulary which impressed many people.

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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.

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African-American slaves were forbidden to obtain the knowledge of being able to read or write, stemming from the fear of white masters that educated slaves will overpower them. Douglass managed to learn to read by bribing poor and hungry white boys into teaching him in exchange for bits of bread. Douglass illustrates his thirst for literacy through “[The] bread [he] used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give [him] that more valuable bread of knowledge” (pg 23). This reveals how much Douglass valued education and took advantage of all the knowledge he had access to. Today’s youth, especially the ones belonging to a minority

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In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass illustrates the harshness of slavery, the power of education/knowledge, and that slavery is detrimental to all those involved. On several occasions, Douglass illustrates the desire of the white man to keep slave “ignorant” (Douglass, 2012). Not allowing slaves to learn to read or write, publicly and cruelly punishing anyone that did. Not even allowing them the simple of their own birthday. To ever teach slave would ensure “the freedom of the slaves and the enslavement of the whites” (Douglass, 2012).

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Once Douglass actually understood the word abolition, “the light broke in upon [him] by degrees” (99) and that is when the eagerness to be free black in the north came upon him. As Douglass became a young man, he started fighting to actually be free. After this, Douglass bounced from master to master, but was still always on the lookout for a way to escape to freedom. Amongst this time, Douglass taught slaves and instilled education wherever he rested. He served as an engine of hope amongst his fellow slaves, and represented the “improper and impertinent… restless spirit” (36), which every colored person in the south longed to be.

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