It is considered one of the most popular works written by former slaves. It is also considered to have played a critical role in fuelling the abolitionist movement. In the memoir, the author gives an in-depth description of his life as a slave and his great desire to be a free man. Written in straightforward English, the autobiography tackles the subject of civil rights. The author also presents education as a powerful tool in the fight against slavery and oppression. This paper will explore Douglass’ personality, his educational background, as well as the treatment that the slaves received from the masters.

The book takes the reader on a journey that explores the plight of the slaves and the eventual attainment of freedom. Irony is employed as the author takes the reader through the horrors of slavery. As a child, Douglass is a slave both in mind and body. However, he manages to overcome this state and free his mind towards the end of the book. This coincides with the attainment of legal freedom. Born to a slave in Colonel Lloyd plantation, he witnessed physical abuse and savage beatings of his aunt, Hester, as a child. However, owing to his young age, he could not be whipped but carried the burden of the suffering (Douglass 6). He never met his father but had a couple of encounters with his mother before her death. However, he was not allowed to attend the funeral. Being a child, he thought that it was normal. His first turning point came when he realized that he was a slave.

The second phase of his life began when he was sent to work in Baltimore, an entirely new world for him (Douglass 7). It is in Baltimore that he learned about the power of education. Ever since he used education to fight for freedom. He became stubborn and attempted to talk back at his master who transferred him to another master, Covey. The new master tried to use hard work to kill Douglass’ spirit. After a fight with Covey, he moves from master to master and still harbors the desire to escape. When he finally finds an avenue, he escapes to New York and later to Massachusetts. He uses his narrative to teach others how to abolish slavery.

What Kind of a Person was Fredrick Douglass? (The Life of Fredrick Douglass)

Fearlessness is one trait that Douglass possessed throughout his life. A highly strong-willed person, he strove to attain whatever he set his mind onto without the fear of consequences. He was also a very selfless person. The fact that after escaping slavery, he went back to the South to save more slaves is a testament to his selflessness. He also portrayed high levels of honesty and always kept his word. Unlike many leaders, Douglass was just moderately social. He had few friends and always acknowledged that he was ready to leave them in pursuit of freedom. His life is characterized by various instances of stubbornness. It is this stubbornness that led to his eventual escape from slavery.

Like most growing children, Douglass was a little careless, oblivious and often getting in trouble as a child. However, like any other slaves, he was determined to mature fast (Douglass 5). By the time he was a young teenager, he was already handling challenging tasks. When in danger, he portrayed his resourceful nature; he was intelligent and a great problem solver. However, he was unbending and forthright when it came to matters to do with morality. Unlike most slaves who were willing to give in as a matter of going with the flow, Douglass was always rebellious when it came to compromising his principles.

Many hardships pigeon-holed Douglass’s education. At the time, it was illegal to teach slaves how to read and write. Mrs. Auld introduced Douglas to the alphabet but stopped when Mr. Auld forbade her. However, Douglas continued to learn English from poor white boys. He would offer bread to the white boys in exchange for English lessons. At the age of twelve, Fredrick came across The Columbian Orator, a book that contained a dialogue between a master and his slave. This book helped Douglas gain insight on arguments against slavery. He practiced to read and write by writing letters on fences, walls, and on the ground.

The slaves received cruel treatment from their masters and Douglas was no exception. As a child, he was not allowed to see his mother. However, his mother sneaked to visit him when the masters were asleep at least four to five times, walking over twelve miles. When Douglas was around seven years old, his mother got sick and died. Douglas had no idea of her illness and was not allowed to attend her burial. His first master, Captain Anthony was a cruel master. Many years of slavery had made him passive to human emotion. Anthony had an overseer, Plumlee, who was in charge of operations.

His stubbornness enabled him to find his way north to freedom (Douglass 62). The older he got, the more stubborn he became. He was therefore seen as a threat to the whole system. However, he was never afraid even at his young age to term slavery as immoral. Though he was never a desired martyr, he constantly put his life on the line when he felt that he had nothing to lose. He desired to live a normal life and pursue his happiness.

Fredrick Douglass’s Style of writing, Genre; Slave Narrative -(The Life of Fredrick Douglass)

Douglas uses a straightforward style to pass his message in the narrative. He aimed to engage the audience in an understanding manner. Thus, he incorporated the use of simple, short sentences. However, he also uses elevated language thus making some segments of the book a little complicated. In some sections of his books, he tries to adopt the King James Bible version. This is seen as his way of showing off the fruits of his struggle to read and write.

For instance, when he describes the whipping that aunt Hester received, he describes how it struck him with an awful force, and he describes the horrifying incident as a bloodstained gate. He terms it as an entrance to hell. (Douglass 5). Using words such as “exhibition” to describe the horrifying event reminds the audience that despite Douglass recalling events that occurred when he was a child he is now a well-educated individual. Although he tries to show the reader that is an acquisition of education was a success, he also appreciates the fact that language can be a limitation. Thus, he reminds the audience that despite being an influential writer, he cannot capture the trauma of experience using language alone.

Douglass uses irony to capture the reader’s attention when he chooses to call himself an American slave. He intends to remind the reader that slavery did not happen in an imaginary place but in America the supposed “land of free.” He intentionally uses the phrase “Written by Himself” which might seem basic but was meant to drive a point home. In the mid-1880s, most white Americans believed that a black person did not have the power to read, less the ability to write a book. In fact, upon becoming a bestseller, some whites criticized his capabilities. Owing to this criticism, Douglass made sure to include two different prefaces to vouch for his efforts as the sole author.

The ending of the book is not surprising. Owing to the occurrence of events, a reader is likely to conclude that Douglass would get his freedom. However, the books bring in a new challenge to help the reader decipher what challenge means. The author wants the audience to understand that slavery is wrong and should be abolished. Moreover, he wants to bring more insight into the subject of freedom as something greater than a legal category. Therefore, his freedom is an anti-climax to the book since there is still a prevalence of slavery. The freedom he receives creates a new beginning for his life as an activist who is obliged to fight against slavery.

What Were Douglass’s Setbacks? How Did He React to them? -The Life of Fredrick Douglass

Despite life’s hurdles, Douglass was a determined person who believed in giving his all in accomplishing his missions. He managed to endure hardship when he was working for Lyold; he had single linen with no shirt to wear, no socks nor shoes. When life gave him an opportunity to work for Auld, things changed, and he met Mrs. Auld, who was willing to teach him the alphabet (Douglass 27). Unfortunately, Mr. Auld was against this teaching and discouraged his wife. He told her that educating Douglass would cause him to rebel against his command. However, this did not stop Douglass from quenching his thirst for education. He found a book, The Columbian Orator, and used it to learn and read.

Since food was scarce and he could skip several meals (Douglass 23), he found a solution for this setback. He realized that if he was able to let the horse “run away” to feed on the nearby farm, he could follow behind to go pick the horse and in the vent, he would manage to eat from the nearby farm. When Mr. Auld learned about Douglass behavior, he instructed Edward Covey to train him. Douglass was beaten to a point where he contemplated suicide. However, he realized that he was the only hope of bringing change and he decided to take action.

Instead of committing suicide, he devoted his time to teach slaves how to read and as a result, he grew more desire to challenge the status quo. However, the slave owners learned of Douglass intention and stormed the Sunday school classes thus dispersing the slaves and transferring Douglass to another plantation (Douglass 51). In his heart, he believed that change would only happen if the people were willing to challenge the status quo. He also understood that consistent agitation and tenacity would result in equality.

While working for Covey, Douglas met Anna Murray, and together they moved to New York. Owing to his Sunday school teaching experience, he became a licensed preacher and used this opportunity to sharpen his skills. He was given various opportunities to speak in church gatherings, and as an orator, he gained the best tools to use in fighting the status quo. He was simply unstoppable and used his setbacks as setups for greater achievements.

How Were the Masters Different from The Overseer’s, Their Personalities as Seen Through the Eyes of Douglass? -The Life of Fredrick Douglass

Commonly, authors name their characters following a reflection of their personalities, and this is the case with Douglass. His two worst overseers were Mr. Severe and Mr. Gore; he even jokes in his book about how deserving Severe suit the character (Douglass 9). One of his best masters was Mr. Covey, whose name is driven by his greedy nature (covetous). The fiction in his character’s names is a significant writing attribute that increases the reader’s attention.

Douglass named his characters with what his eyes could see and how his heartfelt. For example, he describes Mrs. Auld as a kind woman (Douglass 28). She was good to him and even attempted to teach him how to read. However, she changed and became cruel, owing to a slave resulted in robbing her compassion. When describing Covey, Douglass begins by mentioning that he was deceptive and cruel; he did not have any ounce of kindness from the start.

Each time he was introduced to a new overseer, Douglass made a habit of assessing his masters to establish their characters. He describes Mr. Gore and Mr. Severe as vicious and cruel overseers. However, he states that Hopkins was a little bit fair (Douglass 10). When he leaves for Baltimore to work for Mr. Auld, he experiences new privileges that awaken his quest for a better life and freedom. However, he learns that there is no short cut in being a good slave owner because despite Mrs. Auld’s kind heart she changed. Being a master changed her making her even crueler than her husband (Douglass 28) is. When he moves to work for Mr. Freeland, he learns that he is the best master, he has ever encountered. He even appreciates the idea that no master is as good as Freeland. Therefore, he gathers his thoughts and conforms to the idea that instead of living his life working for Mr. Freeland he would rather choose to live in a free land.

In conclusion, the paper has revealed, in analyzing the narrative, how Douglass uses straightforward language to give a glimpse of his life as a slave. He describes his personality, and he talks about how it strokes different reactions and treatment from his masters and overseers. He describes some masters like Covey as kind and calls others as cruel. However, he shows how his stubbornness helped him survive through harsh treatment. As the narrative ends, he depicts that his freedom is a revelation to slavery abolishment and the commencement of a new chapter of his life.

Works cited

Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself.” Boston: Anti-Slavery Office (1845).

 

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