Review of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Book Report/Review Example

Book Review of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglas gives an autobiography of the freed slave Douglas. It is about his life in slavery. The book displays his experiences and those of his fellow slave mates. Brutality and marginalization were the order of the day. The slave masters could not show mercy as it would be a sign of weaknessDouglas was born on Colonel Lloyd’s plantation as a slave. While young he saw Aunt Hester get beaten, but at this time Douglas was too young to be whipped instead he suffers unknowingly.

Douglas never saw his father, he met his mother few times before she died, but was not allowed to go to her funeral.Aunt Hester is portrayed as a very beautiful woman who at one time attracted the attention of Anthony the Captain. Douglas says that Antony wants Hester all to himself, he flew in a rage when he caught her spending time with a slave man and he beat her savagely. The food in this plantation was Mush basically coarse corn boiled. It was served in large wooden trays. The children like pigs would munch on the mush that sometimes had oyster shells or pieces of shingle.

He that ate fast got most.The second epiphany begins when Aunt Hester is seven years old and is sent to Baltimore to take care of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Auld. The moments at Baltimore were very defining since, unlike his former masters Mrs. Auld endeavored to teach Douglas alphabets and the spelling of simple words. Douglas was a swift learner, Mr. Auld was severely against this and warned his wife against teaching a nigger. It was the first steps to his journey to freedom. Douglas realized this in his happy home while writing his autobiography.

Douglas made friends with white boys where he exchanged his food for knowledge.The life of a slave as Douglas portrays is not appealing at all. He gives the story of a slave, Demby received a beating from Mr. Gore, and he decided to escape and jumped into the water to escape. Demby refused to come out and Gore shot him dead.In chapter eight, we encounter a humiliating experience of slave valuation. According to Douglas, the slave masters treated slaves just like their animals and property. Captain Anthony’s slaves are lined up like livestock to be valued.

Division of the slaves occurred regardless of family ties. Douglas develops this plot by explaining how slave were passed from one owner to another just like property.Chapters ten is the longest chapter of the narrative and contains turn of events. Douglas confrontation with the cruel Mr. Covey shows a different picture. One day Douglas decided to run away, but his old slave masters send him back. The whipping at the farm had made him weary. Mr. Covey very angrily decides to whip Douglas but Douglas fights back.

The challenge took two hours until Covey gave up, he even does not take Douglas to the police for fear or his reputation.In the last chapter Douglas portrays a life of partial freedom, he, however, does not give the exact way he escaped since he did not want to hinder other slaves from escaping. Douglas moves to new ford in New York with his wife Anna Murray. As a freed slave Douglas joins an anti-slavery movement the liberator magazine. Douglas attended an antislavery convention and became an activist since the day on.