Writers Taking Risks: Fredrick Douglass - Term Paper Example

taking risks: Fredrick Douglass Born in slavery and committed to freedom, Fredrick Douglass committed his life to achieving equality and justice for all Americans. He believed that human beings whether white, black, men or women could do better if all are granted equal surviving grounds. History presents him as one who resented slavery from early age, a fact that prompted his several attempts to escape. He finally managed to escape to the house of an abolitionist in New York. By the time, Fredrick Douglas was writing his book, he took many risks in order to air his sentiments about slavery. For instance, he risked his life by condemning slavery, nobody wanted to purchase his book because it contained antislavery sentiments, he was born a slave and had to know himself and identify the truth, he managed to run away from slavery, but he was legally still a slave and had no education (Douglas 24). In the 1800s, slavery was a major issue in the United States, dealt with by the South Americans on a daily basis. The Douglas book reveals much about American past during the slavery period and expounds arguments for its abolition. As a historical document, the book conveys information about work, the slave family, the master-slave relationship, and living conditions and treatment of slaves. It also argues against widespread beliefs about the slavery morality and its benefits, making strong views for abolishing slavery. Douglass illustrates, through the narrative he tells, the meaning of slavery for both the individual and the State (Douglas 49-50). Slaveholders or masters always tore slave families apart. Before babies reached a year old, their mothers were taken away, an action that probably intended to break the affection bond between the mother and the baby. Consequently, many of the slaves grew up not knowing who their real parents were. For Douglass’s case, he never knew his parental side. Moreover, enslaved women were harassed and abused sexually. He is not aware of his birthday, and his mother was separated from him when he was only a year old, yet unfortunately she died when Douglass was seven years and saw her son only three to four times in her life time. He speculates that his father was Anthony Aaron, the master of the plantation that Douglass worked on, since it was usual for slave owners to rape or has affairs with enslaved women in detention. Children born of such affairs could not be told their real fathers were, and when they grew up, they would join the enslaved population in working on the plantations. This describes the total lack of the sense of self, which characterized the slaves in the American south (Douglas 58). Slavery in the US was an intrinsic injustice, bondage in itself, not necessarily how the master inflicted on the slave insofar as clothing, shelter, religion, food, life, and discipline were concerned. The whole system was unjust since the slaves were innocent to deserve all the punishments and brutality. Given inequality of power and human nature, evil treatment of slaves was unavoidable. On the plantation, Douglass witnessed the cruelty of enslavement. He witnessed the first whipping when he was seven years and this left a lasting impression in his mind. He writes, “It was the first of a long sequence of such angers, of which I was fated to be a participant and a witness. It was a blood-stained gate, an entrance to the hell of being a slave, which I was about to pass through (Douglass 62).” Unhealthy low nation regions caused numerous slave deaths especially because of the poor working conditions. Slaves were not given any opportunity and especially in education; they could not advance beyond the limits placed by their owners. Such limits severely affected the most gifted servants compared to the less talented. Less able slaves lived close to the level they would have attained if they were given freedom, and many lived beyond the level their personal hard work would have taken them when free (Douglass 71-72) Depriving of slave’s education meant they remain subservient to their masters and deeply handicapped their progress after liberation. Illiteracy resulted from the intrinsic inequality of instinctive servitude. Douglass points rightfully that slaves were treated inhumanly but they endured all the injuries. Slaves were treated equally or even worse than animals. Whether it was hasty or not, the abstraction is illustrated severally in the narrative. They were fed like pigs, taught to live like brutes, and sold like cattle. They were shown little value and no respect, their lives full of meaningless struggle. Slaves are depicted to have been tortured while at their masters’ plantation, especially through the illustration of the malnourished children. Children are called out like many pigs to come and consume the pottage; some with oyster shells, while others had pieces of sand, some with bare hands, but none with spoons. Whoever ate fastest got most food, and whoever was strongest safeguarded the best place; few came out satisfied. The mush was put in a long stiff tray on the floor. This shows how they were treated like animals because of the absence of moral consequence and shame; eating like hungry beasts deprived of respect for humanity. The most aggressive survived best and got what they wanted unlike the weak and dormant that had no choice but behave in undomesticated ways. No matter their gender, capabilities, and age, slaves were given the same treatment and examination, as well as the same bids for selling them off (Douglass 90). In addition, Douglas takes the risk to talk about what he witnessed at a tender age. For instance, he documents several instances in the story, where slaves in plantation endured first hand brutality and torture. They were beaten thoroughly and others murdered outright. However, whites who killed slaves faced no consequences, such as in the case where an overseer shot and murdered a slave but his offensive crime was not submitted to legal investigation. He also witnessed her aunt whipped naked in front of other slaves. Such incidences were committed in the presence of other slaves yet they could not institute a suit or testify against a white master; and thus guilty perpetrators of murder were not shipped for justice, and the community in which they lived uncensored. From Douglas’s speeches covered in the history, slavery had covered almost the whole of America but had endured more in southern America. In fact, most ideas promoting slavery seemed to generate from the south. However, there were still strong arguments channeled from the north that strongly favored slavery, which Fredrick strongly opposed Even though there were a greater number of freed Africans in the south, they continued to live under the shadow of slavery for a long period. The arguments from the south claimed that the sudden end to slavery would have a huge negative impact on the economy. Fredrick often found such arguments irrational and thereby baseless. From the readings gathered in the text, the historical foundation of the abolitionist movement was in the black resistance and revolutionary struggles but unfortunately, they could not air their grievances because they lacked enough education. At that time, slaves were not allowed to attend any institution of learning. Education was a preserve for the whites (Douglas 73). The abolitionists organized different anti-slavery groups such as the Rochester women and often delivered lectures to motivate like-minded people to keep on with the struggle. Freed blacks during the antebellum period were encouraged to play a role by purchasing slaves and allowing them more rights. The new Christian ideologies on liberty and morality the came about because of French and American Revolution in 1700s had strengthen by the 1850s and gave great encouragement to Fredrick Douglas. Fredrick Douglas explains the southern support for the peculiar institution as an irrational persuasion to keep the status quo and maintain the torturous treatment towards the slaves. He does not hesitate to criticize the supporters of slavery in the south and its concealed version. He explains in details the brutality and humiliation of the southern ‘peculiar institution’ with less fear or favor. He makes a courageous attempt to confront the misuse of Christianity to perpetuate the belief in slavery (Douglas 110-112). His history is quite relevant and at the centre of the controversy of slavery in the 19th century in America. In his narrations and the published autobiography, he presents the detailed firsthand account of the misfortunes faced by slaves and the behaviors of their owners’. Fredrick seeks to contrast between the reality of slavery and the romanticism presented by the supporters of slavery through connotative language, powerful irony, and imagery. His rhetorical appeals seek to persuade the reader to see the ills of slavery. The general tone in the text is harsh on slavery and any arguments advocating for it. However, Fredrick Douglas is keen not to persuade victims of slavery to hate their oppressors. The book reveals the terrors that Douglas and other slaves faced; the brutality of plantation owners and supervisors, and his traumatic escape to the North. Enslaved people lived with the continuous likelihood of separation through selling one or more members of the family. The slave songs brought in literacy and awareness to the slaves and this was the beginning of the awakening to fight against this inhuman act in public. Work Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. New York: Forgotten Books, 1998. Print. Read More