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Frederick Douglass

In reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, there are many reasons we might figure the author wrote such a narrative. On one hand, the narrative was definitely penned to stand as testament of the atrocities of slavery. On the other hand, it was also written to show the struggles and obstacles faced by one slave in his attempt to become educated and free. Yet, more than anything, the work is written as an exercise in personal expurgation. By writing his narrative, Douglass was able to gain a voice he was long-denied as a slave. He was also able to exercise the demons of pain, hurt, humiliation, and frustration that his oppression as a slave caused him—an expression he had to keep bottled up inside of himself while living as a slave. Robber of any kind of voice in society or in his social interactions, Douglass, by writing his experiences, thoughts and feelings, was able to release a great deal of frustration engendered within him during his years of oppression. Douglass would become a leader for black rights and this narrative helped pave the way for his leadership. It represents an opportunity for him to criticize many social institutions which actually reinforced slavery and helped legitimize its abuses. We see this at the end of the narrative in documents and the appendix, wherein Douglass is able to vent his frustration over so-called organized Christianity, “I mean, by the religion of this land, that which is revealed in the words, deeds, and actions, of those bodies, north and south, calling themselves Christian churches, and yet in union with slaveholders. It is against religion, as presented by these bodies, that I have felt it my duty to testify” (Douglass 121).

We can see in this passage that it was more than a need for Douglass to vent his criticism at the institutions which bolstered slavery, for him it was a moral duty. A great deal of Douglass’ valid anger, pain and bitterness is able to ...

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Frederick Douglass. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 08:18, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1684840.html