ipl-logo

The Effects Of Slavery In The Narrative Of Fredrick Douglass

597 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Examsples of slavery in the narrative of the life of frederick douglass

Cynthia Keo 12/22/2022
Room 303 Slavery; Is it flawed? ELA

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”
― William Wilberforce

I ask you to think of this question, and to use your judgement, from the perspective of both slave and enslaver; is slavery ethical, righteous, and noble? In the Narrative of Fredrick Douglass, Douglass experiences ignorance being used in slavery, being withheld an education due to his race, the effects of slavery changing someone's moral compass, and distortion of a …show more content…

Most noticably, his first account of the effects slavery had, was seeing slave masters selling and beating their own children, because they were darker and are counted as slaves, because their mothers are slaves. Most children conviced from this ordeal, are children, whos mother has been raped, for profit and pleasure, and was the norm in society to sell slaves, even if they were family. In the text, it says "And, cruel as the deed may strike any one to be, for a man to sell his own children to human flesh-mongers, it is often the dictate of humanity for him to do so; for, unless he does this, he must not only whip them himself, but must stand by and see one white son tie up his brother, of but few shades darker complexion than himself", and it also says "In all its glaring odiousness, that slaveholders have ordained, and by law established, that the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers; and this is done too obviously to administer to their own lusts, and make a gratification of their wicked desires profitable as well as pleasurable". We can infer that the text is talking about those who are mixed, and what happens to their mother and them, only because they're African American. This shows how slavery is an unethical, corrupted, and flawed

Show More
Related

Summary Of Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

677 Words | 3 Pages

Are you aware of the events that occur behind the scenes inside slave plantations? In the book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass wrote about what actually takes place in the many plantations that were around the United States. Out of everything that occurs, there are two Primary issues that obscure the American belief that "All men are created equal", Injustices And Physical Abuse against the slaves. As an example, one main horror about slavery, not usually known by the public that Douglass wishes to expose is the Injustice involved behind the scenes. According to the Narrative, "The wife of Giles Hicks murdered my wife's cousin, a young girl between 15 and 16 years of age, mangling her person in the most horrible

Read More

Slavery And Life Of Frederick Douglass Impact On Religion

1806 Words | 8 Pages

Written in 1845, the same year as the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention, the text has much to say about the role of slavery in Christianity. Dilbeck describes Douglass as, “a kind of prophet crying in the wilderness of Christian slaveholding America” (Dilbeck, 48). He goes on, saying, “Douglass spent a lifetime pleading with white Christians… to acknowledge how thoroughly slavery had distorted their view of reality and kept them from loving as Christ loves” (Dilbeck 48). Douglass attempted to portray his disgust with modern Christianity around him. He believed that what he saw in the church of America could not truly be how the church ought to look.

Read More

How Did Frederick Douglass Contribute To The American Experience

1212 Words | 5 Pages

Douglass challenges the “normal” way people think during this time period. The average white-American owned a slave and was racist against blacks. They believed that God created blacks to serve white people. To them this was “a sense of duty to God and man” (Douglass, North Star). They never thought of how slavery affected blacks and believed that it was “normal”.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Rebunk The Myth Of Slavery

814 Words | 4 Pages

In the 1700-1800’s, the use of African American slaves for backbreaking, unpaid work was at its prime. Despite the terrible conditions that slaves were forced to deal with, slave owners managed to convince themselves and others that it was not the abhorrent work it was thought to be. However, in the mid-1800’s, Northern and southern Americans were becoming more aware of the trauma that slaves were facing in the South. Soon, an abolitionist group began in protest, but still people doubted and questioned it.

Read More

Slavery In The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

494 Words | 2 Pages

Slavery Essay When one considers the Declaration of Independence, equality, and rights are two principles that are believed to be granted to all. Equality can be defined as everyone having the same thing while rights are granted to you that can’t be taken away. However, Frederick Douglass would not agree with this aligns with slavery. In his narrative, he tells the story of how slaves were treated.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Argument Against Slavery

442 Words | 2 Pages

This concludes that people should change what they think about slavery since many have been in pain during

Read More

The Narrative Of The Life Of Fredrick Douglass

945 Words | 4 Pages

“I find, since reading over the foregoing Narrative, that I have, in several instances, spoken in such a tone and manner, respecting religion, as may possibly lead those unacquainted with my religious views to suppose me an opponent of all religion.” (Narrative in the Life of Fredrick Douglass, 389). The differences between the faith practiced by Douglass, and the faith practiced by his owners, was the interpretation of what the Bible was saying. Based on Fredrick’s narrative, we can interpret that slave owners used the Bible to justify their inhuman, unmoral actions onto other people. While Douglass interprets the Bible as something a Christian will use to maintain moral habits.

Read More

The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

346 Words | 2 Pages

Did you know that eight out of ten people in Africa were forced to bein a slave between 1700 and 1850? The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass is a book that gives insight into how slavery really, truly was. This book was written by a slave that learned how to read and write during enslavement. Learning to read affected Douglass’s feelings about slavery by making Douglass feel disgusted and angry about how the slaveholders were treating the slaves. Frederick Douglass was disgusted at how the salve holders were treating the slaves.

Read More

Frederick Douglass Negative Effects On Slaves

753 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Literary Devices In The Underground Railroad

1642 Words | 7 Pages

From this, derives a bond with the reader that pushes their understanding of the evil nature of slavery that society deemed appropriate therefore enhancing their understanding of history. While only glossed over in most classroom settings of the twenty-first century, students often neglect the sad but true reality that the backbone of slavery, was the dehumanization of an entire race of people. To create a group of individuals known for their extreme oppression derived from slavery, required plantation owner’s of the South to constantly embedded certain values into the lives of their slaves. To talk back means to be whipped.

Read More

Twelve Year A Slave And Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

716 Words | 3 Pages

Years A Slave) Douglass explains a different way families were broken apart when he writes “Mulatto children favors which he withholds from his black slaves. The master is frequently compelled to sell this class of his slaves … to sell his own children to human flesh-mongers, it is often the dictate of humanity for him to do so; for, unless he does this, he must not only whip them himself, but must stand by and see one white son tie up his brother …” Douglases quote displays how slavery dehumanizes everyone involved in slavery. A mulatto child is the child of the slave and a white man or enslaver but because of slavery this family broke apart as this child now is now fighting against their own family to survive. Family and one's parental responsibility is a part of a family's humanity which is always crushed by the stresses and norms slavery brought to

Read More

Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay

1188 Words | 5 Pages

Slaves were lied to and manipulated by slave owners, thinking the life that slave owners were offering would change their life. Douglass says that “to make a contented slave ... make a thoughtless one … darken his moral … feel that slavery is right… only when he ceases to be a man” (104). Douglass shows that slaves were tricked into accepting their enslavement. No one in this universe in his right mind would ever accept such a condition, there is only one thing for the masters to do and it was to destroy the slaves' minds. Douglass was a smart man and he didn’t like the feeling of being controlled by others.

Read More

The Narrative Of Frederick Douglass

818 Words | 4 Pages

There are many purposes and aspects of a narrative. Most people write autobiographies to explain why they did what they did in their life. One specific category is slave narratives. There are many great authors whose purpose of a slave narrative was to enlighten white readers of the horrors of slavery. The Narrative of Fredrrick Douglass is a great example of a book that completed this.

Read More

Slavery In Ronald Takaki's A Different Mirror

828 Words | 4 Pages

In Chapter 3 of A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki, he attempts to understand the hidden origins of slavery. In this essay, I will describe and analyze how Takaki uses race, ethnicity, historical events, and famous people to have a better understanding of slavery. We know that slavery itself is a system where an individual owns, buys, or sells another individual. The Irish served as indentured servants, not just blacks, but as time passed slavery consisted of just African Americans.

Read More

Role Of Slavery In Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

911 Words | 4 Pages

In the book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass reveals his life as a slave and the valuable lessons he learned from his experience. Douglass wants the truth about slavery to be revealed and wants to eliminate the lies that portray slavery as beneficial. Douglass exposes the reality of slavery by criticizing the “romantic image” of slavery, showing the intellectual capabilities slaves had, and revealing the reasons why slaves were disloyal to each other. Douglass criticizes the southern, romantic image of slavery by exposing the harsh treatment and sadness that slaves endured. It was southerners who thought slavery as beneficial, because it benefited themselves and white society.

Read More

More about The Effects Of Slavery In The Narrative Of Fredrick Douglass

Related Topics

Open Document