The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas - Admission/Application Essay Example

Fredrick Douglass Order No. 337897 No. of pages: 5 6530 Introduction ‘The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas’ is a touching tale that takes place against the backdrop of the slave trade that was rampant in those days. The story tells of how Fredrick Douglass, a slave was born in Tuckahoe in the Talbot County and not knowing the date when he was born, in fact none of the slaves knew. It was rumored that his white master for whom he worked was his original father, but even so, he was not allowed to ask about any details concerning him because it was considered impertinent. I presume the reason for him to call himself an ‘American slave’ would have been this. Harriet Bailey, a black slave was his mother while his father was said to be a white man. Fredrick had hardly known a childhood because he was separated from his mother when he ran away from Maryland which was his home. In those days it was customary for the child to be separated from its mother even before it was 12 months of age. According to the author Douglass, this separation resulted in the loss of love and ‘natural affection of the mother for the child.’(Fredrick Douglas, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, written by himself, ed. David W. Blight (Boston and New York: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2003), Chap. 1, Pg.1) Douglass narrates how inhumanely the slaves were treated. They were exploited by their white masters who were so cruel that they were almost inhuman. They made them work from morn till night with hardly any food or water and whipped them badly till their innocent blood ran from their bodies. Douglas argues that if God had cursed Ham then ‘American slavery is right.’ (Douglas, Narrative, Chap.1) Douglass speaks dispassionately of his first glimpse of slavery on the plantations where crops like tobacco, wheat and corn were grown. In case a slave faced conviction for misbehavior, he was whipped severely ‘put on board the sloop….and sold to Austin Woolfolk’ as a warning to the other slaves. Slavery as known to Douglass was bitter and he felt helpless when he witnessed the pittance they received as payment which was mostly in kind and clothing which they received only once in a whole year. Children were given only 2 linen shirts for the whole year and if this got destroyed they remained naked- male as well as female. The overseers were barbaric and most frightful. Douglass equates being chosen to work on the Great House Farm, to being a elected to a ‘seat in the American Congress’ (Douglas, Chap.2) because they were better privileged than the others. In fact he says that the slaves working for Colonel Lloyd had the same traits of slaves belonging to political parties. (Douglass, Chap. 2) They were enthusiastic and sang songs about the Great House Farm as they made their way through the woods. These songs were filled with anguish begging God for deliverance from their bondage. Doulas states that, it is through these sad songs, filled with pathetic expression that he conceived the ‘dehumanizing character of slavery.’ (Douglas, Chap.2) In 1841, during the month of August, William Lloyd Douglass attended a convention for anti- slavery, where he had met Fredrick Douglass, who had recently ‘escaped from the southern prison house of bondage and was thrilled to be among the abolitionists at the convention. Garrison was greatly impressed by Douglass’ speech that highlighted the pitiable bonds of all the slaves. He was proud to find the sympathy and love that Douglas displayed as he spoke on behalf of all his brother slaves saying ‘fortunate for the cause of Negro emancipation and of universal liberty.’ William Lloyd Garrison, narrative, Preface) By these words, we come to understand that to Douglass, liberty meant freedom for all from bondage. For him liberty meant ‘breaking the rod of the oppressor, and letting the oppressed go free!’ (William Lloyd Garrison, narrative, Preface) when Garrison heard Douglass’ speech, he was filled with emotion and stated that he never hated slavery more than at that time and considered it to be an outrage on human existence itself. In the preface given by Wendell Phillips he says that he is glad that the time had come when “lions write history.” (Wendell Phillips, Douglas, Preface) He tells Douglass that he is very happy that he understands that injustice has been done to him and his fellow slave brothers and now they have come forward to ask for their rights – the freedom to be free from bondage. Garrison is confident that the book Douglass wrote on the slave narrative was truth in all its sincerity and whoever read the book is sure to understand the truth about the inhuman treatment meted out to all the slaves. At the same time he tells Douglass that he feels apprehensive about his publishing of his book because it would jeopardize his safety. He said this because the Constitution of the United States falls like a shadow and there is no spot where a ‘fugitive slave can plant himself and say, "I am safe." (Wendell Phillips, Douglas, Preface) Wendell Phillips expresses his happiness that Fredrick Douglass had the courage to stand up against a huge country like the United States of America and fight for the freedom from bondage for all his slave brothers and sisters who are suffering in the worst of circumstances. He tells him that his love for his slave fellowmen has warmed so many hearts around him and trampling upon the Constitutional laws of the country they would make sure to see that it becomes an ‘asylum for the oppressed.’ (Wendell Phillips, Douglas, Preface) He also states that when steps are taken to abolish slavery New England would be joyful at breaking away from a ‘blood stained Union.’ (Wendell Phillips, Douglas, Preface) and become an asylum that would shelter the oppressed. Fredrick Douglass, a slave of great integrity and courage was a great example to his slave brethren in standing up to a country who condone the white color of one’s skin and segregating humanity on the basis of their color. He is a living example of truthfulness and sincerity and above all he loved freedom in its purest form, not only for himself but for all his suffering fellow slaves who toiled and shed their blood in bondage. He burned with the fire of love of his brethren and the love of freedom where all would be free to live in peace and harmony without the fear of torture, hardship or death. The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass: An American Slave’ written by Douglass himself is a true testimony of the slave trade that was rampant across the border and the senseless suffering and hardships meted out to the terrified slaves by their inhuman white masters. The narrative is all the more compelling and strikes deep into the reader’s hearts because it is told straight from the heart of one suffering slave who took it upon himself to rise up from the dust as a Colossus to stand up and fight for the rights of every slave who walked the land of the whites. References Fredrick Douglas, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, written by himself, ed. David W. Blight (Boston and New York: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2003), 22 Fredrick Douglas, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” in Narrative of the Life of written by himself, ed. David W. Blight (Boston and New York: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2003), 147 Read More