Frederick Douglass Narrative Analysis - 1333 Words

Throughout his Narrative, Frederick Douglass exposes his belief that freedom from slavery comes through a combination of knowledge and self-agency, and through his personal experience, delineates a model for abolitionism. Although his Narrative does represent an autobiography, Douglass has a higher purpose in mind beyond simple recollection; Douglass wants to convert people to the cause of abolitionism and illuminate what it truly means to join the cause, through exposition of his own life and experiences. Douglass views slavery represents such an abhorrent evil not only because of the physical abuse it inflicts on its victims, but because of the psychological torture within which it confines them, and he endeavors to impart the full†¦show more content†¦To Douglas, the sails and the ships they belong to have a freedom which he has always been denied, and this creates a visceral response. Indeed, slave owners understand that they hold their human property with more than forc e, but with deception about what it means to be free, and do everything they can to â€Å"break† the slaves of such introspective moments. When Douglass’s master perceives that Douglass contains too much spark, he sends him out to Mr. Covey, a man with a reputation for snuffing out that spark and replacing it with the resigned submission that allows the practice of slavery to continue. Initially, Covey succeeds, as Douglass notes that â€Å"my natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute† (Douglass 67). This delineates how Douglass defines what it means to be a man, and further characterizes the self-awareness present throughout the autobiography. To Douglass, a man possesses a certain elasticity, or ability to bounce back from setback, and continue with the battle, a higher intel lect and a spirit that desires to feed this intellect, and some sense of joy even through tribulation. Additionally, Douglass personifies theseShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1450 Words   |  6 PagesReid Champlin Mrs. Stack AP English, Period 7 14 August 2015 In His Own Words: Analysis of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass They say that one can never fully understand a situation until he/she is put into that scenario themselves. Too often, history is written by those who have only read and researched the issues, remaining distant and objective to get all the facts straight. While there is honor in this approach, one cannot experience the horror of war, the thrill of victory, orRead MoreAnalysis Of Frederick Douglass Narrative1597 Words   |  7 PagesFrederick Douglass’ Narrative serves as an influential text which provides detailed examples of how slavery allowed a country and a government to justify the brutal dehumanization and oppression of an entire race of people. Using personal experience, Douglass explains how the slave institution not only dehumanized himself, but also how the process affected other slaves and the slaveowners as well. Douglass relies on a strong imagery relating back to animals to show this dehumanization process, whichRead MoreAnalysis Of The Narrative, By Frederick Douglass1182 Words   |  5 Pages Significant Event #1 Frederick Douglass, the author and narrator of the Narrative, is a powerful speaker for the abolitionist movement. His story is about the road from slavery to freedom, and along this road he faced many challenges and had many realizations. One of the first epiphanies he had was when he realized what slavery really was. Born on a slave on Colonel Lloyd’s planation, he witnessed the worst kinds of suffering. For example, he saw his Aunt Hester get beaten on multiple occasionsRead MoreAn Analysis Of Frederick Douglass s The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Essay1284 Words   |  6 PagesSolomoneAfro 3597 WEssay ATuesday October 18, 2016The Contradicting Nature of Christianity and the Institution of Slavery A Thematic Analysis of Frederick Douglass s NarrativeChristianity quite often, especially when associated to the system of slavery becomes even more of a contentious issue than it already is. In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass present s the theme of perversion of Christianity by slaveholders as a way to bring out the contradiction that lie deep withinRead MoreNarrative Analysis Of Frederick Douglass s Narrative1214 Words   |  5 Pageshappiness shown in Narrative by Frederick Douglass Being taken away from your home and family can be one of the hardest things anyone can go through. Having their identities completely taken away and begin to endure a long hard journey of survival were things blacks had to go through in the 1800’s. Narrative by Frederick Douglass is an 1845 memoir that perfectly shows the struggles of a young black man’s journey to survival after being forced into the life of slavery. Frederick Douglass describes theRead MoreAnalysis Of A Slave Narrative By Frederick Douglass1646 Words   |  7 PagesWithin a slave narrative, the identity of the writer greatly affects the perspective of the story and the message that the author wishes to convey. For a narrative of this nature, to send its meaning directly and efficiently it must be able to illustrate the individual struggle of the writer as well as create a clear line between what it means to be a slave and what it means to be free. These identities of the author not only conflict with the image of self but also help to illuminate the strugglesRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Analysis876 Words   |  4 Pages Although many people think they know the brutality about slavery, not many people truly understand the hardships that people had to really face. In Frederick Douglass’s, â€Å" Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,† he portrays slavery in many different ways through emotion, fact, and first hand experience. The book is his life story going through the depths of slavery and persevering through all the bad until he insures his freedom. In the book he uses many different strategies that showsRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Analysis1060 Words   |  5 Pagesreformer Frederick Douglass narrates his experience of the rebellion in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, escaping from slavery in Maryland and ending up becoming an anti-slavery writer and orator. He employs a dry tone throughout the passage, explaining both the positive and negative effects of slavery in an unbiased position. When looking back to the whole story of his rebell ion, both spiritual and professional education are essential factors in his success. Frederick Douglass startedRead MoreAnalysis of Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave500 Words   |  2 Pages Analysis of Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave In Modern day America, the thought of slavery is horrifying. It is a dark chapter in the American history and should be fought against at all costs now. However, American used to know the reality of the atrocities that occurred on various southern plantations. Its because of slave narratives that the American people have come to realize the inhumane nature of slavery and thus, that led to political activism. One Slave thatRead MoreEssay on Analysis of Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1287 Words   |  6 PagesAn American slave by Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Introduction The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass can be referred to as a memoir and writing about the abolitionist movement of the life of a former slave, Fredrick Douglass. It is a highly regarded as the most famous piece of writing done by a former slave. Fredrick Douglass (1818-1895) was a social reformer, statesman, orator and writer in the United States. Douglass believed in the equality of every