Frederick Douglass
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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 r
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Of course, Douglass more than likely wrote the book to serve as an experience that others could share. This sharing was intended not only for whites who failed to understand the realities of slavery, such as Douglass informing us negro spirituals were hardly sung from a contended or happy place, but it also was intended to stand as an example to other blacks and oppressed peoples. It was intended to show them they were not alone in their struggle to be free or in the abuses visited upon them by their oppressors. It was an attempt to show them they were not alone and others had survived and persevered the hell of slavery. We see this in one instance by Douglass’ own recognition of the same concepts. When he begins to finally be able to afford a subscription to the Liberator, his joy is not only from having something worthwhile to read, but it comes from a recognition that the issues most dear to him were issues others also supported and discussed. In short, it taught him that the printed word was a way of sharing, a way of uniting, “I read it from week to week with such feelings as it would be quite idle for me to attempt to describe. The paper became my meat and my drink. My soul was set all on fire. Its sympathy for
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Approximate Word count = 1447
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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