The Role Of Slavery In Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

Slavery. What exactly is slavery? Slavery is a human being that is owned to do labor and is not respected. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, it states that slaves were treated less that they were. Due to prejudice people of the 1800’s. If your parents were slaves you’d be born into the slave life. There was no way of getting out of that situation. It sucks to be in their shoes. Many people thought slavery was just natural for black people. Slaves were never cared for correctly. They were like nothing, just a tool. Just there for someone's amusement. Why is this happening? It's unfair no person should ever live through harsh conditions.

“To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds.” (Page 9) This quote shows a lot of the pain they felt. They knew they weren't getting treated like how a normal person was being treated. No respect. No care taken upon them. Horses would even be treated better than the slaves were. That was how the slave owner/ overseer would see how the slaves were treated by comparing them with a horse. A horse is an animal, not a human being. All of this wrong. This was dehumanizing these people. Dehumanizing means making someone/ person less human than they are.
Being stripped naked and then being whipped. Also when he had watched his master beat the same aunt. Bloody, insane, and gruesome. As traumatic as it sounds, the event itself probably was Douglass’ most horrifying things that he has seen as a child that was so small and innocent. “…bloody persecution…” (Page