The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass: Definition Of Freedom

Navaneeth Visagan
Mr.Wilhelm

Land of the Free
Throughout the course of American history, many individuals strived for their own beliefs and ideologies even in times of difficulty. These events helped shape America into the defender of liberty it is today. Many of the conflicts among the early Americans were of trying to achieve and realize the true American Dream. As American history progressed, the literary periods of each era in some shape or form embodied the American vision. The American Dream presented within the periods of literature illustrate alternate definitions of freedom from a certain abominable oppression as shown through works during the age of Puritanism, Revolutionary period and slave narratives.
The Puritan religion
The works from this intense time period sought for a freedom from white oppressors. Each work illustrated a point of view that was disregarded by many people but brought awareness for abolitionists and their cause. Writers such as Frederick Douglass wrote The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass that described the horrors of slavery and helped with achieving the greater cause of fully abolishing it. Douglass resolves to run away from one of his white slave owners. He recalls “In coming to a fixed determination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death” (Chap. 10). Douglass would prefer death than the bondage of slavery. But if he can escape bondage he can achieve his dream his liberty, independence, a way of life. Douglass pursues his dream throughout the book while hindered by the same white oppressive force as every obstacle. Fighting for liberty is a central idea that revolves in the works of slave narratives. Phyllis Wheatley was born, raised and died as an African American slave poet but was the first writer of African origin to gain a voice in the United States. Like many other slaves, she longed for freedom. In An Hymn to the Evening the very last lines states the “Night’s leaden scepter seals my drowsy eyes” (172). The scepter indirectly refers to a higher power which has command over
The dream is for everyone and sometimes shared by everyone. People with same ideals and aspirations work together against an opposing force and that simply can be the American dream. Literary periods over time portrayed the freedom from a certain oppressive factor. Puritanism embodied the struggle of religious persecution to achieve the title of a servant of God. The Revolutionary times were with the power of reason and unalienable rights, and slave narratives was battle for a freedom of man that was seen not as same as the other. America will go on to define the dream fully and clearly but as of now the journey of the American Dream is the rich history of perseverance that is encompassed by people in the land of the