How The Life Of Frederick Douglass Dehumanize

Throughout American history, many sources display the era of slavery, but little of them exhibit slavery as well as a book called, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” This book represents an accurate first-hand account of slavery that allows historians to analyze the era of slavery today. According to this narrative, there were many dehumanizing aspects of slavery, which include physical torture and forcing inhumane lifestyle onto slaves. Many of these scenarios of torture were demonstrated in expansive, horrific detail throughout the narrative. Although slaves were immensely dehumanized, this historical piece humanizes Frederick Douglass along with African Americans as this narrative is a marvelous piece of literary art with many

Physical torture drastically dehumanized slaves as they had no personal opinion when they were tortured because slave masters would whip them more if they complain. With physical torture and other dehumanizing factors, came the dwindling of liberties such as freedom of speech. For example, in the Douglass Narrative, master Lloyd had a huge stable of horses under the care of two slaves, Old Barney and Young Barney. When Master Lloyd felt like Old Barney was at fault for not taking care of the horses well enough, Lloyd spoke to him and all Old Barney could do was “stand, listen, and tremble,” then he was literally whipped right after with “more than thirty lashes.” This example shows how terribly many slave masters tortured their slaves and how slaves were not allowed to defend their positions as they had no freedom of speech. Physical torture was routine to many slaves in this era. This was surely dehumanizing because humans are born with a voice and when they are enslaved and tortured it takes away their voice and their passions. It is almost like they are zoo elephants, and have to be tortured just to be tamed and stay under the control of the slave masters. Slave masters would tame their slaves by filling them with fear which came with physical torture. Additionally, another example that displayed physical torture in

Frederick Douglass humanizes himself and all slaves because he showed that slaves can make amazing art too which definitely separates humans from beasts. Douglass’s narrative was just so beautifully decorated and structured as he uses rhetoric as a tool to enhance his writing. For example, Douglass uses a metaphor when he says, “I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” This metaphor was written by Frederick Douglass to describe just how little he knew his mother as he compared her to a stranger. Techniques like these make the reader be in Douglass’s shoes as we can picture the situation that he is in a lot better. This undoubtedly proves how human African American slaves were. Frederick Douglass also uses pathos in his narrative to drive the readers emotions as he says, “My puffed-out eye and blood-covered face moved her to tears.” He wrote this sentence to describe one of his very own beatings and how that made his past mistress literally cry. In this sentence, Douglass uses pathos to appeal to the emotions of the readers. He intended to drive the reader with emotion which is an outstanding technique which