Frederick Douglass is an illustrious author in the history of African American literature. His memoirs, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave is one of most read book among African Americans. This autobiography was first published in the year, 1845 and was revised several times. Frederick in his autobiography gives accounts of his life and shares his own experience as a slave. This paper intends to discuss Frederick Douglass, his life and experiences, slavery and several other related aspects.
Douglass starts his narrative by saying that he has very less memory of his birth. He says he is not much aware about his date of birth. Author shares that he was estranged from his mother when he was even not aware that she is his mother. He further writes that he saw his mother only four times in his life and she died when he was just seven years old. Frederick does not know anything about his father though he was whispered that a white man, who was also his master, was his father (Douglass 17).
Douglass says that such blurriness about childhood, mother and father was very common among slaves. Very few knew accurately about their parents and childhood. He further describes how slaves were tortured and beaten without reasons. All of them feared their masters and were trained how to behave with their masters. He also talks about his aunt who was whipped by her master in very early age. He also says that his master owned a number of slaves and all of them were beaten and tortured by master.
While describing the tortures, Frederick shares his own experience and sufferings that he faced. He says, “I had no bed, I must have perished with the cold” (Douglass 33). He says that he was treated like other slaves were treated by his master who, he says, was very cruel. He says that slaves were forces to sleep at the floor where kids, women, men, singles and married used to sleep together. Narratives of Douglass suggest that sexual exploitation was very common and no woman was in condition to resist such things. His narrative suggests how all slaves were abused, mistreated and exploited by their masters irrespective of their age and gender and health conditions.
Frederick was sent to Baltimore when he was seven where his new mistress treats him nicely. He admits that during his stay in Baltimore he learnt many things and also sensed a kind of freedom. He says how his new mistress started teaching him but her husband stopped her from doing this because teaching him “would forever unfit him to be a slave” (Douglass 37). Frederick says this was an eye opener and he decided to learn, read and write. He says that in Baltimore stay of next seven years, he learnt reading and writing irrespective of several difficulties that he faced in this course.
Frederick describes that slaves were supposed to serve their masters and they were kept illiterate deliberately. They were taught and trained to serve their masters and this was the only one motive of their existence in the eyes of their masters. Frederick learning gives him new hope and aspiration of better future but from Baltimore he was sent back to old painful life which was full of sufferings and hunger.
Frederick again went through tough time of beatings, escaping, and recapturing. This hard time stolen all desire of freedom and Frederick was no longer optimistic when he was hired by a William Freeland. The mental stage of Fredrick clearly depicted in his thought “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man” (Douglass 58).
While working under new master, Fredrick hope for freedom was strengthened. He started teaching other slaves in a secret place, in spite of fear of being caught and hard punishment. Fredrick realized that the learning is way to freedom and educating other slaves will encourage them to look forward to a better future. Fredrick also developed a plan to escape but got caught and was sent to the jail. After being released after two years, he was sent to Baltimore to learn trading skills of ship caulking. Here Fredrick witnessed various things such as white men working with black men because of fear of losing their jobs due to increasing number of black workers.
Fredrick learnt new skills and practices to earn good money and maximum possible wage. He brought good business to his master. Working in new environment was never easy for Fredrick as he faced violence from white workers. Fredrick saved good money that was enough for him to escape to New York. Douglass does not provide details of his escape and after his escape changes his name. Then he marries a free black woman, Anna Murray whom he met in Baltimore. He relocated towards Massachusetts and started people mobilizing against abolitionist movement.
Douglass was a marvelous orator and he used his skill to mobilize other blacks. He also joined American anti slavery society that was established by William Lloyd garrison to fight against racial injustice. Douglass visited different places and started revolutionizing blacks to throw away the slavery that was imposed upon them. He was aware of the power of education and suggested other to do anything in order to get education. Very soon African American people started realizing that they can get benefitted from his experience and number of his followers increased.
After having observed the life, struggle and contributions of Fredrick Douglass in the abolition of slavery, it can be concluded that he played a big role in improving life of millions including his own. He was a visionary man who understood the importance of education and did not lose the hope irrespective of a series of sufferings and struggle. He was punished for helping and educating others but he continued doing so in order to awake others and induce them to acquire what they deserved.
Frederick, in his autobiography discusses how he fought against slavery and how he earned his freedom. Frederick also discusses life of other slaves and how their owners used to trade and behave with them. Frederick Douglass educated others and awakened them to avail their rights irrespective of being punished for the same. Education became one most effective tool in his movement against racial injustice and he earned freedom of his people. Douglass is a source of inspiration and his life is an example for others that show how a determined person can change lives of others.
Work Cited
Douglass, Frederick. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Stilwell, KS: Digireads.com Publishing, 2005.
