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Narrative Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay

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The Narrative Life Of Frederick Douglass written by the former slave himself, Frederick Douglass, was published in 1845. Douglass published his narrative to elude his past experiences and to share the evil side of slavery that most people do not discern. In his narrative Douglass mentions how his life was and what he experienced in his lifetime of being enslaved and when he was free. He uses these experiences to rebuke the so called, “romantic image” of slavery in the 1800’s.
During the 1800’s slavery was very common, especially in the Southern states such as, Missouri, Delaware and Maryland. Douglass was born into slavery, in Tuckahoe, Maryland. As a young child Douglass was separated by his mother, he was at least twelve miles away from her, and she would do her best to visit him while it was dark outside. Douglass states “It was a common custom in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at …show more content…

It was uncommon for slaves to trust one another. For the slaves own benefit, they do not encourage the beating of each other, but they are usually isolated and try not to get close to one another. Douglass trusted Sandy Jenkins to join him and the other slaves in their escape, but when they were all captures except Sandy, Douglass knew he could not trust anyone. Sandy has just merely conformed with being a slave her whole life because that is the way all slaves were raised. Sandy, unlike Douglass had not witnessed the truth of slavery. Douglass later admits he cannot even trust his own color. “I saw in every white man an enemy, and in almost every colored man cause for distrust.” Douglass does not only reproach the whole concept of slavery and the distrust slaves have for one another, but he also depicts the intellectual capabilities that were believed to be “non existent” to not only the slave owners but the slaves

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Douglass details his experiences and life after running away “Since I left you, I have had a rich experience. I have occupied stations which I never dreamed of when a slave. […] I soon learned, however, to count money, as well as to make it, and got on swimmingly” (103). During this time period, it was a common presupposition that African Americans were incapable of making a living on their own. However, Douglass uses his own experiences to prove otherwise, which was important in proving his main argument that he was not a slave but rather his master’s fellow man.

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Frederick Douglass was a slave who went on to write a narrative about his life. The Narrative of Frederick Douglass talks about life in slavery, the harsh conditions of slaves, and the cruel punishments they would receive if they disobeyed their masters or overseers. Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland. He had no real information about his age or birthday, nor would he be told. He continuously disproves the idea that “All Men Are Created Equal” in his narrative by talking about the horrible living conditions and the dehumanization of slaves.

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Douglass was born into slavery, to say the least. He recalls early in life his mistress treating him as if he was an actual human being. Douglass claims, “She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach” (Douglass 130). He describes his mistress as a loving and caring. His mistress did not see him as chattel, or property.

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Douglass’ anecdote provided evidence to support his assertion that slaves often fought over the relative merits of their masters, adding to his argument’s ethos and establishing credibility. The substance of the anecdote also added to his argument by showcasing a harmful effect of slavery; its inconsistencies distorted the slaves’ view of the world, causing them to debate over their masters’ relative goodness and consider even the most basic of mannerisms to be indicative of a kind master. Though the readers obviously knew the true nature of the slave owners from the previous accounts of Frederick Douglass, the fact that slaves were so far

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Frederick Douglass was a slave from Maryland who, through luck and intelligence, was able to escape slavery at 20 years old. In his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he describes how it felt being a slave throughout his childhood and adolescence, as well as the traumatizing conditions on plantations. Douglass also discusses how he learned to read and write, which causes him to consider his position in slavery and helps to inspire his escape. Nevertheless, once he arrives in New York, Douglass’s hope quickly fades as he is faced with the reality of his situation; he is all alone in a place where he could easily be caught and returned to slavery, making the efforts of his escape in vain. In the excerpt from his autobiography,

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8 The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (a great work) is an autobiography that depicts the life of Frederick Douglass and his struggles while he was a slave. Throughout the book, we are told of the hardships that slaves faced on a daily basis before the Civil War ended. 2 The unjust, inhumane, cruel treatment from his masters is a big factor in Douglass’ decision to risk his life to escape slavery. During Douglass’ time as a slave, Mrs. Auld was very kind to him and even taught him how to read. Learning how to read was a big deal for Douglass because knowledge is one step in the path to freedom for slaves.

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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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