Frederick Douglass Narrative

HISR 1103- Survey of American History

February 14, 2013

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass takes place in the year 1845 in Massachusetts. Frederick Douglass, a young slave knows no life outside of the many masters that will own him over the years of his life but dreams of one day escaping the restraints of slavery. Through educating himself and an enduring heart Douglass breaks away to freedom and leaves this narrative outlining the horrors that even the best slavery conditions brought.

The two men who wrote the preface to the narrative of Frederick Douglass are William Garrison, founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society and Wendell Phillips, president of the
American Anti-Slavery Society. I think that the publisher though it was so important to include these letters because of the perspective they gave the readers. Hearing the way others at this time speak of Douglass’s story and his views on slavery really allowed readers like myself to gain perspective on the level of respect members of the American Anti-Slavery Society give Douglass.

One key assertion made by both Garrison and Phillips was the point made about Douglass’s ability to be strong. This is honed in on when Garrison said the relationship between Douglass’s head and heart remain firm and credible after being broken down so many times. These letters of Douglass’s work are written so highly of and relates back to why I believe the publisher included these letters in the narrative. The way that these men write about Douglass provides a more open mind for readers to absorb all that the novel offers. Additionally, Garrison and Phillips also write about the state of Maryland which Douglass is enslaved in and how the particular region is less brutal than states such as Georgia, Alabama, or Louisiana. The slavery he experience was brought new perspective to readers who could imagine how it could get any worst for slaves during this time. Phillips says let us gaze on its bright side, if it has one.” This so vividly expresses how even the best of slave conditions were unbearable.

Frederick Douglass spent his childhood as a slave in Maryland. He was subject to harsh conditions such as cold winters without clothing nor a sufficient amount of food. Frederick Douglass’s first master was known as Captain Anthony, and Colonel Lloyd. Anthony was explained as not a relatively wealthy man but owned about thirty slaves and worked for Lloyd. As a boy Douglass watched as Anthony whipped his Aunt repeatedly. This forever scared him knowing that he could do nothing but watch as the horror of slavery went on in front of him. Luckily as a slave child he was not yet strong enough to work in the field so he spent time running errands and aiding Daniel Lloyd in his hunting. At age seven he was transferred to Baltimore. He knew little of what it meant to be in a home or family since most were strangers to him. The only knowledge of his white father were the whispers that he may be his master. The one brother and two sisters of his had no real bond due to the absents of their mother. She died when he was seven and only knew her as the women who sometimes traveled twelve miles on foot at nightfall to visit her children.

Frederick’s next masters were introduced upon his arrival to Baltimore, their name was the Aulds.
His transfer to the city opened his eyes to differing conditions there were from the country life. When Douglass spent his youngest years on the country side in Maryland physical conditions were much more painful than those of the city. The city is a place where even slaves were groomed to look more presentable and usually fed well. Mrs. Auld was the first person that brought this realization to light. She was said to be the kindest white woman Douglass ever met. He gushed about her kind heart until as he puts it, “slavery turned it to stone”. His writings of her prior to becoming entrenched with the power that slavery brought to many white people during this time showed how fond he was of her and she of him. She began to teach him the to spell until she was told by her husband that it was unsafe to educate a slave. “Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world”. This quote came from Mr. Auld who said that Frederick should know nothing more than to obey his master. This brutal teardown of Douglass’s confidence soon after turned in to motivation. Douglass became even more to find a way to gain an education by beginning with learning to read. He did in time learn to read which angered his masters to no end. He was banned from newspapers and books but managed to sneak in time to do so. Books opened his mind to deep thoughts and ideas. One specific word Douglass found interest
in when beginning reading was ‘abolitionists’. Although he was unaware of the meaning behind the word he listened carefully when it was used. Readings taught him more about slavery and human rights which armed him with the ability to argue against it. With the broadening of his education he allowed himself to gain continued perspective about the wrongful act that is slavery. These thoughts were a blessing and a curse because they gave no outlet to the cruelty just the establishment that it is not how things should be. He furthered his education when he decided to learn to write after labeling pieces of timber at the shipyard. He continued writing on walls, wood, and fences with chalk and basically copied spelling and other books from his master’s son’s school workbooks.

Later in the narrative Douglass leaves Baltimore for Master Thomas Auld’s plantation. He explains Captain Auld as a terrible man, “I do not know of one single noble act ever performed by him.” During his time there he suffers from not getting enough to eat. Being a slave he was always subject to poor treatment especially his diet but this period of time was the hardest for him. This section of the book is one that really had me upset because he specifically said how the masters were very aware of the fact that they weren’t feeding them. Regardless of the abundance that they could have been fed Douglass says they ignored it and “would kneel every morning and pray that God would bless them in basket and store.” After a while Captain Auld rents Douglass to Edward Covey, a poor man who was known to get slaves to obey their masters by putting them through a series of harsh conditions. Douglass hates Master Covey more than any other he has worked for likely due to the mental exhaustion that he had during his time working under him. He regains his agenda to run away and after the mentally regaining his strength he fights back when Covey tries to whip him. This empowers Douglass and reaffirms his plans to run away. Following Douglass’s time under Covey’s rule, he is sent to reside with William Freeland who was known to be much more respectful to his slaves and have a sense of humility.

After time with Mr. Freeland the thoughts of freedom turn in to plans. Douglass’s idea to escape I believe stemmed back from Baltimore when he helped the Irishmen at the docks who told him to run north and there would be friends waiting to meet him. This he never forgot and for the first time Douglass may have an opportunity for his idea to become a plausible plan. A group of fellow slaves vowed to join the escape plan which ended with a betrayal and Douglass was sent to prison then back to Baltimore to work for Hugh Auld’s friend Gardner, a shipbuilder. He later escapes from Master Auld to New York. His freedom is paired with terror of the unfamiliar place but is fortunate to meet an abolitionist named Ruggles who tells him to go to Massachusetts. He and his fiancée make it there safe, find work and eventually start speaking out against slavery.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was not always an easy read.
The bloody beatings of Frederick’s aunt and his continuous mental exhaustion just enhanced my personal hatred for slavery. Douglass I believe to be one of the strongest book characters I have ever read. His intelligence and persistence kept me rooting for his ultimate success to freedom. Although the story ended well there were many brutal sections of reading that disturbed me. “The Breeder” story was my least favorite. Master Covey near the middle to end of the narrative was described to have bought one slave woman, Caroline and hired a married man to have sex with her every night producing more children to enslave because he wasn't wealthy enough to purchase more. This was by far the most disturbing story I read because of how little conscience white owners had during this period in
time.

This idea of African Americans being treated like possession barley even begun with the breeder. A section from the text specifically outlines how Douglass is taken back to the Plantation to be evaluated and valued the same as they would rank their animals. Another significantly disturbing part of the book was how Frederick painted the picture of his grandmother whose master she nursed as a child all the way to his last day of life and how even after her life’s dedication to his wellbeing she was not freed with his death.

All together I really enjoyed this novel. I think the narrative gives a fresh perspective because its not as theatrical as some stories of slavery. I think it would be a great novel to assign again. The historical foundation allows students like myself to empathize further with the African Americans at this time who were so brutally abused by slavery.