What Are Frederick Douglass Debunk Myths

In the Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglas’s main goal is to debunk the myths that have been spread, throughout the world, of slavery. The beliefs of both the slave owners and the slaves themselves have been contorted with the myths that have been trying to justify the reality of slavery. Douglass debunks the myths of slavery through the romantic images of slavery, the intellect of slaves and through the promotion of the disloyalty between slaves.

Douglass throughout his narrative argues with the romantic images that are assumed about slavery. He first debunks the idea about how a singing slave is a happy slave for “slave sing most when they are most unhappy” (12). Douglass explains that when the slave owners or white men hear the

Douglass debunks this idea with the use of both himself and his cousin Tom. He uses his cousin Tom by explaining how “his eloquent description of [Baltimore]” had inspired him to leave the Great House Farm to a better place (25). His eloquent and intellectual way that he had spoken had moved Douglass into running away from his owner to go to a place that seemed to have much better prospects. He also debunks this idea when he describes how he learns to read and write. He specifically talks about a book he has read that describes a talk that occurs between a slave and his owner. “The slave was made to say some very smart as well as impressive things” and the slave that was later emancipated for his intellect (29). He adds this anecdote into his narrative to show that colored people should not be held back from learning and that their learning could be the key to their emancipation or freedom from slavery. His main subject of focus is himself; he gives examples of how he was banned from learning how to read and write. Instead he goes against the wishes of his slave owner and continues to secretly learn and write. The example that he gives enlightens how his narrative is against the belief of black intellectual