Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Essay Example

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass ‘Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave’ is an autobiography of Fredrick Douglass. The author of the story is Frederick Douglass and published a book in 1845 after slavery escape. The story shows the close correlation and mutual influence of American history and Douglass life. Since the book is a description of Douglass suffering as a slave, it shows that human rights and justice were not availed to all during the antebellum era.

During the antebellum period, blacks were mistreated and sexually harassed by their masters. Douglas notes his father to be the master even though he was denied the right to call him the father. The narrative also shows that Douglas was separated from his mother while still young and managed to see her on a maximum of five times in his life. The mother was not only sexually harassed but humiliated to separate her from the child after giving birth. Douglas notes that it was common for the slaves not to know their paternity or age courtesy of their masters.

The slaves were treated brutally despite their age or sex. Douglas narrates on the whippings against the old, young, male and female slaves with him being no exception. The slaves also lived in miserable conditions where there were no beds offered to them. They slept on the clay floor that was often damp and cold. The antebellum era was characterized by thwarting of the slave dreams so as to maintain the status quo. For instance, the attempt of Sophia Auld, the wife to Douglas, to teach him was unfruitful with the husband seeing it as a means to end his era as a slave.

The desire to be free and learn was common among the slaves but was never granted. In conclusion, the antebellum era had got no space for justice for the slaves courtesy of their masters. The slaves lived in the mercies of their masters with the women being more prone to sexual harassment among other injustices. Blacks were the poor people in the society and their masters exploited their vulnerability to the maximum.