How Is Frederick Douglass Cruel

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass, is a poignant account of his experiences as a slave in America. Born in Tuckahoe, Douglass, like most slaves, knew neither his birthday nor his father, although some suspected his master, Captain Anthony, of fulfilling the role of the latter. After the death of Captain Anthony, Hugh and Sophia Auld became Douglass’s new owners. Sophia taught Douglass the alphabet, after which he secretly continued to get lessons on how to read and write from the little white boys on the street. During his time in Baltimore, Douglass began to feel dissatisfied with the notion of being a slave for life, and his secret education only fueled his desire to escape. Douglass was later sent to Captain

As an infant, Douglass’s mom was taken from him and sold to a Mr. Stewart, who had a farm approximately 12 miles from where Douglass lived. It is also noted that most slaves were taken from their parents at a young age. This separation ensured slaves never developed a close relationship with their parents. Because they never knew their parents, slaves were left without any close relations and a perpetual feeling of loneliness. Not knowing anything about their identity, and being treated harshly left many slaves disoriented and unsure of their identity in society. Masters at the time also used to punish slaves (primarily by selling them) if they expressed discontent with their current circumstances. Douglass notes of a slave belonging to Colonel Lloyd, who unknowingly expressed discontent to him and was consequently separated from his family and sold. Because slave owners would occasionally send in spies to see what their slaves thought of them, and consequently, slaves could never express their true feelings for fear of retribution. Slaves could also never fully trust others in the same condition and had to live with a constant feeling of paranoia, which took an emotional toll on them.Not having anyone to truly talk to and constantly having to stay alert to stay alive can be a taxing experience, and very emotionally draining. Douglass also writes about Christmas and noted that slaves were frequently pressured into drinking by their masters. The purpose of this exercise, according to Douglass, is disgusting the slaves with what they do with their “freedom”, so they feel somewhat grateful to be under the control of their master. This shows the emotional torture slaves were subjected in. Slaves were manipulated by their masters into believing they were immoral, and thus could not lead a