Slave Life on Large Plantations - Book Report/Review Example

Slave Life On Large Plantations 1. What does Douglass tell us in general about slave life on a large plantation? What does he say about the slave childhood? From his experience slavery is very inhumane; slaves are overworked and not even given enough to eat. They are given approximately two pairs of clothes that are supposed to run them for a year. This results to great poverty and children are seen walking naked and women barefoot. His separation from his mother at a young age indicates the suffering the children go through. They are denied the right to be brought up by their mothers (Douglas, 2).Children born from slave women were by law also slaves (Douglas, 3). The slaves are treated in a cruel manner. For example, they are whipped, and some masters even cut and slash women’s heads (Douglas, 4). 2. What do we learn about master-slave relations? (Note: The term “relations” is used here in a general sense, not only in regard to sexual contacts.) The master and slaves relationship was not a humane one. To the masters the slaves were not treated like fellow human beings. The slaves had to follow the master’s rules strictly without questioning; they were just like any other of his property. In calculating their wealth, slaves were ranked together with other animals like horses and cattle indicating their low worth. Slaves did not deserve any pity or love and hence the masters hated them, on their parts the slaves viewed the teachers as bad people and detested them back. It is hence clear from the passage that there was no real relationship between the masters and the slaves. 3. How does Douglass’s life in Baltimore differ from that on the plantation? Why? At Baltimore, Douglass worked for Mr. and Mrs. Auld. Mrs. Auld is very friendly that he even does not know how to behave in her presence (Douglas, 28). Unlike in the plantation at Baltimore the slaves are like free men receiving more food, clothes and other privileges that do not exist in the plantations (Douglas, 30). Mrs. Auld treated Douglass the same way one human being ought to treat the other (Douglas, 32). This was not common in the treated of slave and indicated the proper character of Ms. Auld. 4. How did Douglass learn to read and write, and why did his master say that this would make him miserable, not happy? (Be thorough in your answer.) Mrs. Auld initiallytaught Douglass how to read but after caution from her husband she stopped teaching him (Douglas, 28). He later made friends with little white boys who acted as his teacher. He gave them bread in return to their teachings. He also carried books that he read after finishing his errands Mrs. Auld initiallytaught Douglass how to read but after caution from her husband she stopped showing him (Douglas, 33). Knowing the truth about slavery, which Douglass would only understand from reading, would make him unhappy (Douglas, 33). Reading would expose him to more knowledge; this is mainly seen from him reading the book, ‘The Columbian Orator’ (Douglas, 34). 5. Why must Douglass return to Great Farm from Baltimore? What does this tell us about the legal system and the position of slaves? After the death of Captain Antony, his property has to be valued since he did not leave a will. Douglass being one of his slaves had to go back and be assessed with the other slaves, horses, pigs and cattle. The slaves and animals held the same rank in the valuation and division (Douglas, 39). This shows how lowly the slaves were treated. They were seen as just any property with avalue, the more the slaves, the wealthier the owner. 6. Who was Mr. Covey and what is the importance of Douglass’s fight with him? Mr. Covey was the master Douglass worked for in 1883. It was his first time to work as a field hand. Mr. Covey was a cruel master and was known as a slave breaker (Douglas 51). The battleenabled Douglass regain his sense of freedom, and it turned to be the end point of him being whipped by Mr. Covey. He states that after the fight he worked as a slave for four years and was never whipped for that whole period. As Douglass puts it revived his sense of manhood and recalled his self-confidence (Douglas, 63). The battleallowed Douglass to gain courage and renounce cowardice, and he decided that he would only remain a slave in form but not in fact. He was again determined to be a free man. To him the white man who would beat him would also kill him (Douglas, 63). The fight was therefore of great impact in his life. 7. According to Douglass, why did masters try to get their slaves drunk at Christmas-time? During Christmas time the slaves received free time, it was a time for them to exercise their freedom. The slaveholders however aimed at teaching the slaves that slavery was better than freedom. By getting them, excessively drank it made them feel that they better be slaves to man than to ram (Douglas, 65). They would hence feel better working in the fields as slaves as compared to the freedom the teachers gave them (Douglas, 66). Taking slaves drunk was hence a way of the slaveholders enhancing and empowered the spirit of bondage. The idea was to show the slaves the negative attributes of freedom and hence make them disgust it. 8. Why does Douglass attempt to escape when he does? How is he able to escape? (Note: He tried to escape twice, but the first time he failed.) Douglass had acquired reading and writing skills which enabled him learn more about the world. He knew that there were areas in the north where people were treated equally and where slavery did not exist. He had since the fight with Mr. Covey regained his self-worth and was determined to not live a slave forever but escape from slavery and become a free man. He strongly detested slavery and how it subjected individuals to low life. As he puts it, his lucky escape was through luck and by assistance from other colored people. He got a sailors protection from a colored person who nearly resembled him and using it managed to free from slavery. 9. In what ways does Douglass view the North as different from the South? The north and south are entirely different as brought out by Douglas. Black people in the North enjoy freedom, the white treat the black as equal unlike in the south where blacks are not valued as human beings but are considered as any property. In the north, everything looks clean and beautiful. AS Douglass puts it, there are no naked children, no dilapidated houses, no barefoot women and no poverty stricken people (Douglas, 97). People from the north look healthier, energetic and happy. In the south, there are wealthy people but are surrounded by destitute slaves this is unlike the north where everyone looks able and wealthy, and there is no sight of poverty. 10. What is Douglass’s attitude toward Christianity? From the article, Douglass criticizes religion but it is evident from the appendix that this is only based on the slaveholders’ religion and not Christianity as we know it. He says that there exist a very significant gap between the Christianity of Christ and Christianity of America (Douglas, 65). The slaveholders would mistreat their slaves, sell them for prostitution, murder them, and deny their food. The same slave holders would on Sunday be the preachers; they would act as the missioners and campaigners of freedom. This in itself would make anyone detest this religion. Reference Douglas, Fredrick (1985). The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Boston: No. 25 Cornhill. 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