The Effects of Bullying - Essay Example

The Effects of Bullying A slave born in Talbot County, Maryland in 1818, Fredrick Douglas was a man dedicated to social reform and diplomacy. Fredrick is famously known for his quote “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong” (Douglass 89). Fredrick Douglas is the epitome of true an anti-slavery activist. Wrote a book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, in which he eloquently describes his life as a slave and all the experiences he encountered. This essay primarily tackles the life of FredrickDouglas as a slave, its relation to my personal experience and what could be done to avoid falling victim to bullying. Fredrick was separated from his mother Harriet Bailey, soon after birth, he never knew his father though it was greatly believed that his master was his father. Douglass’ mother dies when he is seven years old and he is hardly affected by the news. His first encounter with bullying is from his first master, Captain Anthony, who whips Douglass’ aunt, Hester after she goes out with a fellow slave against the captain’s orders (Douglass 12). It is believed that the captain had sexual interest in Douglass’ aunt Hester. Douglas has a front seat view of the torture that his aunt faces in the hands of the captain and he is introduced to the violent world of slavery at this point. As a mixed-race slave, this meant that Douglass faced harsher suffering or could be sold off because slaveholders’ wives did not like mixed-race slaves. Fredrick introduces us to the big family. His master captain Anthony has three children, two sons, Andrew, Richard, and a daughter Lucretia. She is married to Captain Thomas Auld. The whole family at live the central of the plantation in a Colonel Lloyd’s house. Douglas at first does not understand the meaning of the songs sung by the slaves, but later learns their real meaning. All the slaves go through hell, at the end of the month they report to Lloyd’s house for their monthly allowances of either pork or fish. To add to their woes, they only receive one set of linen clothing for the whole year. Adult slaves also receive one blanket but no bed. The exploitation that goes on in the plantation is now clear to Douglass. Douglass continues to witness the cruelty experienced by the slaves. For instance, Lloyd’s garden is out of bounds to slaves they can only work in it, but cannot even eat a single fruit. To keep track on his garden, Colonel Lloyd places a tar on the fence and any slave spotted with tar is violently whipped. Lloyd also owns a stable, which is run by father and son. The stable has horses, carriages, and any minute faults to the horses’ results to whipping to father and son (Douglass 22). Douglass also learns that speaking the truth about how the slaves are treated results to punishment. Lloyd stopped a slave and asks him what he thinks about his master, the response is negative and irritates Lloyd who chains and sales to a slave trader at Georgia. Douglass also explores the cruelty of Colonel Lloyd’s overseers. They were all harsh and demanded slaves to bow down to them. They openly boast of killing slaves and nothing is done to them. The rampant slave killing is also an issue that remains alarming to Douglass. Overseers, other slaveholders, and their wives kill slaves and nothing is done to them. Even when warrants of arrest are issued, they are not put to effect. One day Douglass is delivered from ColonelLloyd’s plantation when he is sent to Baltimore to live with CaptainAnthony’s son in-law’s brother, Hugh Auld. Here he meets his new master. He recalls the hardships he had gone through in Lloyd’s plantation, though as a child, he was not strong enough to work in the plantations, he recalls the only long linen shirt he had that could hardly protect him during the cold winters (Douglass 30). The first pair of trousers he receives from Lucretia signifies a change for the better. Life in Baltimore seems to be promising. At Colonel Lloyd’s plantations, eating for children was also a problem, they ate from a communal trough and only the strongest got enough to eat. Douglass believes that a move to Baltimore ensured that he was saved from slavery. In Baltimore, he is amused by Sophia Auld’s the kindness. She is welcoming and does not treat him badly; she even teaches him the alphabet. Hugh Auld does not like how she treats Douglass and orders her to stop and says education ruins slaves because it makes them unmanageable and unhappy. Douglass learns that this is the tactic employed by slave owners to suppress slaves. This shows that the white slave owners deliberately denied education to their slaves. Douglass is determined to get what had for a long time been denied to him. He pursues diverse ways in order to learn how to read and write. He even comes across the word abolitionist, which he figures out means antislavery. He is determined to learn all the injustices done against the slaves.The cruelty of the whites continue when Captain Anthony dies. Douglass is taken back to the plantation and the slaves are paraded alongside cattle to be divided between the Captain’s surviving children. Douglass’s grandmother is also abandoned in the woods because she is too old to work. Lucrecia who had been kind to Douglass also dies and her husband Thomas Auld reclaims Douglass from the Hughs as a way of punishing them. At sea, Douglass pays attention to the route taken by the ship because he plans to escape when he gets the chance. Slaves were denied the three basic amenities for survival. Religion was used to justify the cruelty of the slaveholders towards the slaves. Sometimes Douglass considered killing himself and the slaveholder, but is paralyzed by both hope and faith. The situation had dehumanized the slaves such that they had adopted superstitious ways of protecting themselves against the white man’s cruelty. They believed in a magical root that would help them avoid white man’s beatings. To keep them in line and manageable through the whole year, the slaveholders allowed them to enjoy themselves during Christmas. They believed this released slaves’ rebellious spirits. Later in his life, Douglass starts a school for blacks. He also gains enough courage and escapes from slavery. My personal encounter with bullying happened during my high school years. Though common in most schools, I believe what I went through was far cruel and can be compared to the sufferings. Life was hard. At home, my stepmother was not treating me well. I used to get food left overs, sleep on the floor with only one piece of blanket, while my stepbrothers enjoyed the luxuries of the king sized bed. They got new clothes each end of the month while what I was left with was their old clothes. I used to do all the household chores while they watched television and played video games. Their school fees were paid on time while I had to be sent home a couple of times for my parents to respond to my woes. I did not enjoy the privileges of being a doctor’s son. It can be concluded that I was simply robbed of my childhood. In school, the big boys did not give me a break as they took my lunch money, new shoes and even have me a whooping for no apparent reason. Like Douglass, I had my fair share of cruelty against me and I can relate to his life. Bullying has become extensive and it has become hard for the victims to avoid it. However, there are several strategies that victims can employ to make sure that they avoid the cruelty directed towards them by the bullies. The first step to beating bullies is to show confidence. Believing in one’s self and knowing that you do not possess the limitations that bullies often state you have allows the person to feel self-sufficient and not bothered by any bully sentiments. The second strategy is to gather support from friends, adults or any authority figure. One should contact individuals who believe that bullying is an injustice and will be willing to help that individual avoid the cruelty against him. Human rights bodies are often the right authorities to contact in need of help. They understand that everybody is equal and they should be given equal chance to ensure prosperity. One must also learn to stand up for themselves. Douglass could no longer take Mr.Covey’s whips and stood up for himself and fought a Whiteman an act that was even unthinkable at that time. Therefore, knowing that you also have rights and defending those fundamental rights allows one to avoid being bullied. It is also advisable to avoid the bully. Staying away from the cruel individual means that you are not exposed to any danger. Precations should be taken to ensure that contact with the cruel figure is minimal and short; this will definitely help avoid bullying. Sometimes it is easier to take self-defense measures; one can find ways to protect themselves from the bully. The slaves believed that the magical root helped them avoid Whiteman’s punishment and Douglass went along with this superstitious believe in order to avoid punishment. The same way individuals should find ways that will help them defend themselves against bullies. In conclusion, it is clear that the conditions and cruelty experienced by slaves as stated by Douglass continue to manifest in the modern bullies. Rape, denying education to the victims, denying them the necessary amenities (food, clothing and shelter) and killing of victims remain employed by the bullies. Douglass found a way to escape slavery so should the modern individual formulate means to avoid bullying and completely eradicate it. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Written by himself. [With] Appendix. London: Oxford University Press, 1851. Print. Read More

Lloyd also owns a stable, which is run by father and son. The stable has horses, carriages, and any minute faults to the horses’ results to whipping to father and son (Douglass 22). Douglass also learns that speaking the truth about how the slaves are treated results to punishment. Lloyd stopped a slave and asks him what he thinks about his master, the response is negative and irritates Lloyd who chains and sales to a slave trader at Georgia. Douglass also explores the cruelty of Colonel Lloyd’s overseers.

They were all harsh and demanded slaves to bow down to them. They openly boast of killing slaves and nothing is done to them. The rampant slave killing is also an issue that remains alarming to Douglass. Overseers, other slaveholders, and their wives kill slaves and nothing is done to them. Even when warrants of arrest are issued, they are not put to effect. One day Douglass is delivered from ColonelLloyd’s plantation when he is sent to Baltimore to live with CaptainAnthony’s son in-law’s brother, Hugh Auld.

Here he meets his new master. He recalls the hardships he had gone through in Lloyd’s plantation, though as a child, he was not strong enough to work in the plantations, he recalls the only long linen shirt he had that could hardly protect him during the cold winters (Douglass 30). The first pair of trousers he receives from Lucretia signifies a change for the better. Life in Baltimore seems to be promising. At Colonel Lloyd’s plantations, eating for children was also a problem, they ate from a communal trough and only the strongest got enough to eat.

Douglass believes that a move to Baltimore ensured that he was saved from slavery. In Baltimore, he is amused by Sophia Auld’s the kindness. She is welcoming and does not treat him badly; she even teaches him the alphabet. Hugh Auld does not like how she treats Douglass and orders her to stop and says education ruins slaves because it makes them unmanageable and unhappy. Douglass learns that this is the tactic employed by slave owners to suppress slaves. This shows that the white slave owners deliberately denied education to their slaves.

Douglass is determined to get what had for a long time been denied to him. He pursues diverse ways in order to learn how to read and write. He even comes across the word abolitionist, which he figures out means antislavery. He is determined to learn all the injustices done against the slaves.The cruelty of the whites continue when Captain Anthony dies. Douglass is taken back to the plantation and the slaves are paraded alongside cattle to be divided between the Captain’s surviving children.

Douglass’s grandmother is also abandoned in the woods because she is too old to work. Lucrecia who had been kind to Douglass also dies and her husband Thomas Auld reclaims Douglass from the Hughs as a way of punishing them. At sea, Douglass pays attention to the route taken by the ship because he plans to escape when he gets the chance. Slaves were denied the three basic amenities for survival. Religion was used to justify the cruelty of the slaveholders towards the slaves. Sometimes Douglass considered killing himself and the slaveholder, but is paralyzed by both hope and faith.

The situation had dehumanized the slaves such that they had adopted superstitious ways of protecting themselves against the white man’s cruelty. They believed in a magical root that would help them avoid white man’s beatings. To keep them in line and manageable through the whole year, the slaveholders allowed them to enjoy themselves during Christmas. They believed this released slaves’ rebellious spirits. Later in his life, Douglass starts a school for blacks. He also gains enough courage and escapes from slavery.

My personal encounter with bullying happened during my high school years. Though common in most schools, I believe what I went through was far cruel and can be compared to the sufferings. Life was hard. At home, my stepmother was not treating me well.

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