Summary Of Frederick Douglass's Narrative Of The Life Of Slavery

“The Hardships of a Slave” The autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave depicted the life of a slave during the 1800’s. Not only did it explain the life of Frederick Douglass, but also, the life of his family and friends around him. It showed the true severe and harsh treatment of African Americans during this time. Around this time, being an African American meant you were treated as less than human, property, an animal.

Is freedom a self destructive and impractical system? According to George Fitzhugh, in his book, Slavery Justified, freedom is used to pull people down and further enhances human greed and suffering. Fitzhugh also speaks about the supposedly positive aspects of slavery while spouting logical fallacies that further prove his lack of knowledge and credibility. He describes the condition of slavery as a benefit to society. On the other hand, Frederick Douglass in his autobiography, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, recounts his life story and how essential freedom is to him and fellow slaves.

Slavery had an extreme influence on the thinking of humane actions. Now, the majority of people believe that slavery is wrong and inhumane. Booker T. Washington is the author of one of the most descriptive works describing slavery written. He wrote the autobiography which he called Up from Slavery.

Lastly, Douglass’ explains his thought on slavery and from what he says it becomes ironic. One of the ironies in the book that Douglass talks about is how religious slaves are more cruel than non-religious slaves. In chapter 9, Douglass’ master, Thomas Auld, became

Frederick Douglass believes that slavery is terrible for slaves. In the narrative, Douglass tells the story of his early life as a slave. Douglass knew nothing much about himself. He did not know his own age, or who his father was. He was deprived of any opportunity where he would get to learn more about the outside world or himself.

However, they hardly know how each slave felt going through the phase of slavery. Both parts should read the memoir because it presents a story that unravels the bitter truth and the sweet sensation of life in the eyes of this young man. Pro-slavery Americans should be ashamed, and Abolitionists should expand their knowledge based on the history of

He states “The wretchedness of slavery, and the blessedness of freedom.” This shows how he described slavery and freedom. When Douglass escaped from slavery, he felt blessed but while he was still in slavery, he was miserable. In addition, he uses an antithesis example to say “It was life or death with me”. He chooses this example to explain how slavery either made him feel weak or how it made him feel dead.

Franklin’s abolitionist society asked him to bring the topic of slavery to the

The Injustice and ambivalence of slavery are presided in “Negroe Slaves in the Colonies” by William Knox and “Thoughts Upon Slavery” by John Wesley. Both of these sources explain a vivid description and examples of slavery in the fifteenth century. In “Negroe Slaves in the Colonies”, William Knox, makes an accurate depiction of slavery and expresses his view points on the subject matter. Knox starts of by stating that the foreign African slaves are unintelligent and show a lack of effort.

What is a slave? The word slave in the dictionary is as stated; a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. Many have heard of the term slave before, but seldom are acquainted with the brutality and horrors slaves suffered in the past and still sometimes now. The book Kindred, written by Octavia E Butler, the film Roots, Incidents in the life of a slave girl, and the diary of a slave expose just a few of the gruesome and appalling ways slaves were treated. Not only do they show the mechanical inhumanity, but the emotional expedition slaves overcame and overcome on an everyday basis.

When people talk about slavery they more or less tend to label the good ones who were against slavery into the North and then the monsters as being the Southerners. Stowe showed the readers that this isn’t true, and that you can’t just point and blame that easily. Through Tom’s owners, Mr. Shelby and St. Clare, Stowe showed us the reality of kindness that some Southern slave owners possessed. Both of these slave owners believed it wrong to harm their slaves and to treat them with any type of cruelty. St. Clare tended to share his opinions on slavery, and Stowe used this character to show how many Southerners thought slavery to be an act of iniquity, but were too stubborn to try and change the ways of their society.

Thomas Paine was opposed to slavery due to the quote he said. "Slave, who is proper owner of his freedom, has the right to reclaim it, however often sold." He goes on to say the African slaves were forced into the slavery due to the Europeans bring liquor to there land, bribing one against another, and hiring tribes to fight other tribes. Thomas Paine was an original member of the Anti Slavery formed in Philadelphia.

Pertaining to the rights of African Americans a new south did not appear after the reconstruction. While they were “free” they were often treated harshly and kept in a version of economic slavery by either their former masters or other white people in power. Sharecropping and the crop-lien system often had a negative impact on both the black and white tenants keeping them in debt with the owner. Jim Crow laws, vigilantes and various means of disfranchisement became the normal way of life in the South. It was believed that white people were superior to black people and when they moved up in politics or socially they were harassed and threatened.

Slavery was very cruel, and oppressed. 150 years ago Slavery ended and we are still suffering from the aftermath. Slavery was coursed labor relied upon intimidation, brutality and dehumanization, All slaves labored from sun up to sun down without almost any pay and treated as property. Family was a refuge for slaves dignity that masters thought to stifle.

Because of this, he successfully creates a contrast between what the slave owners think of and treat the slaves and how they are. Douglass says that slave’s minds were “starved by their cruel masters”(Douglass, 48) and that “they had been shut up in mental darkness” (Douglass, 48) and through education, something that they were deprived of, Frederick Douglass is able to open their minds and allow them to flourish into the complex people that they are. By showing a willingness to learn to read and write, the slaves prove that they were much more than what was forced upon them by their masters.