“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is an account of life in slavery written by Frederick Douglass, who experienced all the horrors of that time firsthand. It is considered the most famous of several novels written by formerly enslaved people during the same period. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” describes Douglass’ journey of becoming an anti-slavery fighter.
The first brutality on the part of enslavers is certainly the oppression of people for their differences. The main factor in the mistreatment and availability of slavery at the time was skin color. Enslaved people were the American economy’s largest financial “asset”: they were worth more than all other American industries. The Virginia slave code equated enslaved people with real estate. The owner had the right to kill an enslaved person if he refused to obey his master. This cruelty is perfectly evident in the situations described in the work: “the overseer blew the brains out of a slave who ran to the stream of water to escape a bloody death” (Douglass 6). This violated a fundamental human right, which implies equality. Every person has the right to choice, respect, and education. The lack of basic knowledge can be traced back to the quote: “I, being a slave, did not understand the deep meaning of this rude and seemingly incoherent song” (Douglass 16). A person cannot act as someone else’s property. Each person is an individual and has the right to equality, choice, and respect.
The second cruelty of enslavers was the inability to get out of slavery. With physical violence, enslaved people were punished for resisting their master’s will. The use of physical force to intimidate is demonstrated in the phrase: “As if whips, chains, thumb-screws, paddles, bloodhounds, overseers, drivers, patrols, were not all indispensable to keep the slaves down, and to give protection to their ruthless oppressors!” (Douglass 5). Only the strongest individuals tried to rectify their situation and kept trying to get out of hell. Many enslaved people surrendered because the fear of the enslaver was impossibly strong. Thus, the enslaved people of that time had only two choices: stay in hell or try to escape, risking their lives.
Douglass begins by describing the day he was born, his mother’s death, and many other events that influenced him and shaped his personality. The writer shares a few memories of his ailing mother and some of her visits in the first chapters. Moreover, the author suspects that his father is a white man. Since childhood, the boy has witnessed the cruelty and violence of white people toward their black slaves. Masters never expresses compassion for African Americans, holding them in fear and stress. Subsequent chapters reveal a remarkable change in Douglass’s life that makes him realize the possibility of freedom from slavery and becoming a free man. In particular, the author believes that education and knowledge are two powerful tools that can lead African Americans to freedom and liberation. At this point, Douglass understands the meaning and essence of the word “abolition” and begins his unique journey toward the abolition of slavery.
While Douglass was in Baltimore, he taught himself to read and write. When his first master died, man was sent to Thomas Auld and then sent to Thomas Auld’s brother, Hugh Auld. Sophia Auld, Hugh Auld’s wife, began to teach the boy the alphabet, but then Hugh Auld forbade it. He believed that if enslaved people learned to read and write, they would become ungovernable. Douglass began questioning slavery after reading pamphlets, newspapers, and other things. When Douglass was sent to William Freeland, he began teaching other enslaved people. They managed to do this quietly for more than six months, but then they were caught. Thomas Auld sent Douglass to Edward Covey, who was considered evil. He beat Douglass regularly and almost “broke” him.
Man continued to take the beatings until he decided to fight back one day. Douglass won, and Covey stopped torturing him. Douglass tried to escape slavery twice but failed both times. In 1837 Douglass met his future wife, Ann Murray, a black woman who was free in Baltimore. This influenced him to get his freedom. He disguised himself as a sailor and took the train, taking money from his mistress to buy a ticket. In less than twenty-four hours, he reached New York City, fully accomplishing his mission of escape from slavery. After his escape, he married Anne Murray. They thought New York was unsafe for men after the escape, so they decided to go to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Douglass became a laborer and began attending abolitionist meetings, sharing his experiences. He attended an anti-slavery convention and eventually became a well-known speaker and abolitionist.
Douglass’s autobiography describes the horrors of life as an enslaved person. It was not easy for an enslaved black man to speak out, so the recognition of this story had great significance. He had to be very persuasive to be heard as a formerly enslaved person. Therefore, the story uses literary devices such as metaphors and rhetorical questions. Douglass uses metaphors in his message to create a detailed portrayal of his situation. For example, in describing the ships going into the ocean, he states: “You are the angels of liberty that fly around the world” (Douglass 44). He juxtaposes ships on par with winged angels because they are free; they can travel the world on their sails. By creating illustrations of this type, readers can admire this and see that even ships are freer than Douglass, who is human. Moreover, describing his desperate situation: “I was left in the hottest hell” (Douglass 41). He calls slavery hell to demonstrate his condition as a captive. He is trying to show that slavery is the worst thing on earth. With this phrase, Douglass conveys his condition to the reader and gives the reader an idea of how he felt. The inclusion of these metaphors in his autobiography not only elicits sympathy from readers but also gives readers a stronger message.
Furthermore, when he worries about bringing up enslaved people, he asks himself: “Why should I bother? I can endure as much as any of them” (Douglass 41). This shows the reader his pushiness, willpower, and character. The author is ready for anything; he does not give up and goes to his goal, as he understands that in his hands is not only his fate but also the fate of thousands of other enslaved people who cannot escape from its captivity on their own. This shows his determination and the progress he has made since the beginning of his story. The author uses rhetorical questions to show his attitude and confidence in his words increasing, which helps the reader believe Douglass.
The “good” owner in the story is Mr. Freeland. He, compared to the other enslavers, treated the enslaved people leniently. He gave them ample time to eat and tools in good working order. The author demonstrates his attitude toward him: “My treatment, while in his employment, was heavenly, compared with what I experienced at the hands of Mr. Edward Covey” (Douglass 48). I cannot entirely agree that there are good enslavers. The fact that one does not oppose slavery and uses it for one’s own needs is an endorsement of the phenomenon. Even if one does not physically abuse or give good living conditions, it is still a violation of human rights.
To conclude, an important part of American identity is the ability to work hard for economic success. Douglass proved this claim false by using slavery as a perfect example of why it is not so. The anti-slavery fighter uses American freedom to earn money for his hard work to show how he views the proclamation of independence for all in America. He argues that the inability of enslaved people to earn a wage for their labor shows that whites completely ignored them as human beings and adds to the fact that independence was selective. Douglass believes that American independence and American identity are selective. The enslaved men were the men of America and were denied all the basic freedoms and liberties that white men had. He believed that American independence would be fiction until everyone in this country had the same basic rights.
Works Cited
Blight, David W. Frederick Douglass: prophet of freedom. Simon & Schuster, 2020.
Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave written by himself.” Nina Baym, Norton anthology of American literature (1845).