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Frederick Douglass's Relationship With His Mother Essay

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Frederick Douglass's Relationship With His Mother Essay
1. Douglass reveals he had little to no relationship with his mother during his life. He was a victim of the common practice of separating infants from mothers, just like so many other slaves at this time. He explains that this practice was conducted to allow the slave masters a way to rid the natural affection a mother would have for her child; as a result, the mother would be more inclined to work rather than tend to her child. 2. Douglass was able to conceive the notion his master, Aaron Anthony, was his father from slave gossip and from the treatment he received from his master’s wife. According to Douglass, he could not do anything to please the master’s wife, which he could not explain until he learned master’s wives typically treat …show more content…
On multiple occasions Douglass’ aunt was victim to the whips of Mr. Plummer. On one occasion, his aunt was accused of having a relationship with the slave named Ned. He cruelly shamed her and beat her in front of the whole plantation because of his suspicions. This forever left an imprint on Douglass as it revealed to him how the idea of owning another has made people lose their human characteristics. He insulates those who own people are flesh mongers without any care for their humanity, as he witnessed his Aunt punished brutally without a justification or reasoning made, simply he knew Mr. Plummer just wanted to hurt people, a rather inhumane …show more content…
I believe the whipping of slaves was so common due to the fact the plantation owners wanted to cruelly inform the others as efficiently as possible. The whip is able to scare others quickly while injecting pain into only one individual. 8. Douglas is trying to convey the argument a mixed race people will not be able to find a reason for racially based slavery. Furthermore, he concludes those who argue Africans are inferior are hypocrites as they are the ones who are having children with them. He sees a failure of slavery as the justifications for it will no longer exist or be able to exist in the future with a mixed race
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