Frederick Douglass: Life In Slavery

Frederick Douglass’s life is living proof of the injustice that took place in slavery. His life exemplified dehumanization on a daily basis. Blacks were not shown as “humans” at this day and age, as Frederick’s life is an example of the cruel practices of slavery. His life shows the significance of the many struggles that were brought upon him and other slaves for human and civil rights. Douglass grew up on captain Anthony’s plantation with hundreds of other slaves.

Kaitlin Wold Mrs. Solem Frederick Douglass Essay Frederick Douglass: Breaking the Grip of Slavery Frederick Douglass, an African American slave, went through many obstacles to become a free man. Frederick Douglass not only kept his head held high through all of the troubles he faced, he also was fearless, defiant, and determined. All of these qualities are what helped him escape slavery in the long run.

Through Frederick Douglass’ autobiography you are able to see slavery in the 1800’s through a slave's point of view. When writing out his autobiography Douglass has the intentional goal to open people's eyes to slavery and its effects. Douglass wanted to show what the slave industry consisted of and how he managed to break free from the deadly cycle. I personally believe that through Douglass’ writing he was able to obtain his goal of enlightening his readers on slavery. Through Douglass’ writing we see how he witnessed of the hardening of hearts of his slave owners.

NHD Outline *primary* (paraphrase) Introduction We had on the plantation an overseer, by the name of Austin Gore, a man who was highly respected as an overseer proud, ambitious, cruel, artful, obdurate. Nearly every slave stood in the utmost dread and horror of that man. His eye flashed confusion amongst them. He never spoke but to command, nor commanded but to be obeyed.

Frederick Douglass Overcoming many obstacles, Frederick Douglass became a very influential African American in the antislavery movement. Growing up a slave, he lived the harsh lifestyle that many African Americans were suffering through. However, he escaped from slavery.. After his escape, he donated his life work to support the extinction of slavery in America. Using his personal, powerful slave stories from his horrifying childhood, he was able to influence many listeners.

The author’s purpose in this story is to inform readers and expose the horrors of slavery. The purpose is indeed worthwhile because it covers the emotional and physical effects of slavery. From writing this narrative, Frederick Douglass was able to express his joy at reclaiming his freedom and truly reveal his hardships. As an abolitionist, he wrote and spoke out about the hard life slaves endured hoping to inspire many and abolish slavery forever. Frederick Douglas wanted to get his message out and share his story as to how he freed himself mentally as well as

The Detriments of Slavery In Narrative, Frederick Douglass describes his personal experience as a slave and how slavery is dehumanizing. As Douglass strives for freedom from slavery, both mentally and physically, he explains each of his masters and how they change throughout their lives of being slave holders. Douglas argues that slavery is not only physically and mentally detrimental to the slave but additionally, the slave owner. Both slave and slave holders suffer physically from slavery. For a slave, physical suffering is due to lack of necessities or being treated harshly.

He shows in the narrative how whites owners of the plantations or overseers, treated plantation hands as chattels. They used violence to keep slaves ineffective, immobilized, degraded and less than humans, and maintained their status as pieces of mere property. Apart from being subjected to gruesome cruelties, blacks faced array of difficulties. Douglass portrays the difficulties of black slaves throughout his narrative. The oppression and exploitation of white masters were inevitable a life under slavery.

In “The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass” Frederick Douglass talks about his life as a slave ,and the challenges that he went through ,but he also tells how slaveholders were affected during slavery. Frederick Douglass talks about how slaveholders have great powers over their slaves. Being the slaveholder can enforce that you are above the slave ,and that you are allowed to do what you please to you “property” ,and that could corrupt your humanity. One example of this is Sophie Auld. Sophie Auld was a kind and generous slaveholder ”I was utterly astonished at her goodness”(Douglass 45); she even helped teach Frederick Douglass to write, but after she had been the master of Douglass for a while she started to become inhumane, cruel, and malice.

Overall, Douglass' narrative addresses the serious problems and misconceptions of slavery and it reveals the truths. Douglass urges his readers to not believe in the so-called romanticism of slavery, or that blacks are intellectually inferior, or inferior at all, or that their prospects are better as slaves. He begs that his readers discover the truths, by reading about them through his own life experiences. Within Douglass' experiences, he successfully debunks the mythology of slavery by disproving that there is anything positive about. Because Douglass reached freedom, he knows that it can never be attained unless it is fought for.

Do you have to be famous to be a hero? Do you have to have billions of dollars to be a hero? Do you have to have superpowers to be a hero? No, you don’t have to have billions of dollars or superpowers to be a hero.

Alexander Vega Mr. Shanebeck AP US History 4 November 2016 The Slave Life In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass relates his encounters as a slave. The subtle elements the abhorrences of experiencing childhood with a plantation, being subjected to extraordinary prejudice, and fleeing to freedom.