constant offense to the white wife and the legal children and suffered enormously. Usually, the mixed-blood slaves were sold.
Douglas describes an incident where the overseer shot a slave in the face and killed the slave for disobeying him. When he reported the incident to the owner, the overseer was vindicated for his actions. The overseer said that he killed the slave because the slave had become unmanageable. As such, he was setting a dangerous example for the rest of the slaves. According to the overseer, if one slave got away with disobedience, it would lead to the total breakdown of all rule and order on the plantation. The result of this breakdown would be the freedom of the slaves the enslavement of whites. The overseer's fame spread as a result of this incident (Douglas 30-31).
Douglass had a number of owners during his time as a slave. In his narrative, he describes the idiosyncrasies and cruelty of each. The "nigger-breaker" to whom Douglass was sent for retraining by one owner was especially cruel (Douglass 54). Most of Douglass' slavery was spent being hired out to other farmers. As he grew older, Douglass began to seriously contemplate how to gain his freedom. Eventually, he came to the decision that in 1935, he would either be free or he would be willing to die in the attempt. Death was preferable to bondage.
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass tells the story of Douglass' life from his personal point of view. The writing follows a chronological sequential order through the events of his life. He tells his story through direct observation. He uses specific details and shares with the reader, through his use of words, the first-hand experience of being a slave. The use of this first-hand description is one of the great strengths of the narrative. The descriptions are powerful and detailed. Douglass' style invites the reader to share what he saw and felt, and the reader ...