Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
Since the colonization period when British farmers had plantations on the American soil, slavery and slave trade were common phenomena. After America gained its independence, philanthropic movements arose which aimed at bringing an end to this vice that seemed to be so deeply rooted in the American community at the time. Looking back in those days, it can be agreed that fellow humans were treated like animals just because of the color of their skin. Their intelligence and resourcefulness were neglected as they were relegated to statuses equal to that of pack-animals, regarded to as property and even treated as one (Garrison, 1845).
This might not sound like a big deal, unless the extents to which the animosity reached could be heard from the horse’s mouth; the slaves themselves. Such is the story of the life of Frederick Douglas, as narrated by Douglas (1945). This made him a major force to reckon with in the abolitionist efforts. As seen in the narrative, his perceptions about education, literacy, slavery and freedom all evolved as he went through the hands of various masters during his slavery life.
In his earlier life, Douglas viewed slavery as a form of degradation of human dignity, where individuals could be treated harshly by their masters with so much impunity. It is also an aspect that acts in breaking family ties and disrupting the social organization. For instance, Douglas (1945) observes that he was separated from his mother at an early age. He therefore did not experience the motherly love that is so vital for a growing child. Furthermore, he did not experience the bonding that a mother has with her baby, and it is no wonder that when his mother died while he was just 7 years of age, it did not have much impact on him. On the cruelty aspect, he always observed his aunt being flogged by her owner, who was also Douglas’ owner. This was so humiliating, and it made the young boy yearn for freedom. To add insult to injury, the master used Douglas’ aunt for his sexual satisfaction. This was an aspect that made the young boy despise slavery.
After moving to Baltimore, Douglas lived with Mr. Auld. His mistress was initially very kind to him and taught him to read and write. Douglas was doing well in this. However, his master became uncomfortable with Douglas becoming educated. He became harsh and this made even the mistress become harsh on Douglas (Douglas, 1845). Rather than get cross and bitter about this, Douglas came to a new realization: there must be something to do with literacy that made his master with hold it from him. This gave him even more motivation. The young boy read widely and became quite informed. It was through this that he realized that slavery was actually a vice that needed to be stamped out. With such vital information, he set out to free himself as well as his kind from the jaws of slaver. As Garrison (1845) observes being informed made Douglas such a resource to himself, his country and his race. He would act as a force to imply that the colored people are empowered and are deeply resourceful and, therefore, can use their intellect to advocate for their own rights.
After the death of his master, the son and daughter are to divide the wealth among themselves. It is at this point that Douglas gets another idea that makes him plot an escape. He, a human being, was rated as a property or livestock, hence was subject to the division of wealth (Douglas, 1845). This utter disrespect for human dignity made him bitter towards slavery. His bitterness is justified by Garrison 91845) who posits that the slaves were treated so badly that nobody believed they could be of any use to the society. If such a notion had to be eliminated, then it had to take the efforts of people such as Frederick.
The last straw on the horse’s back was when Frederick, then serving under Auld, was given to Mr. Covey as a slave on lease. Mr. Covey was far much harsher than the previous masters that Douglas had ever come across. He often beat up Douglas and made him work beyond his abilities. This excessive work took toll on Douglas and he once collapsed in the fields while at work. Rather than treating him modestly, Covey beat him even more. This was more than Douglas could take and it sparked his need for freedom even the more. He planned an escape which failed and saw him sent to prison. After release, he received some training which put him in a position to work on a shipyard. It is from here that he planned a successful escape and fled to the North. He got his freedom and started working as his own master. However, he did not forget his initial call: to act as an advocate for freedom. It is this call that saw him act as a forerunner in the abolitionist efforts. Douglas is acclaimed as a hero of abolitionist movements and the drive for such conquest can be traced back to the people he met and interacted with, as well as the education he received.
References
Douglas, F. (1845). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave. Retrieved on 21st Feb 2-12 from http://www.enotes.com/narrative-life
Garrison, W.L. (1845). Frederick Douglas: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave. Retrieved on 21st Feb 2012 from http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/A1.html
