The Narrative of Fredrick Douglass: An American Slave–An Analysis
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The Narrative of Fredrick Douglass is written in two parts, and in two distinct styles. On one hand, it is written as a simple autobiography. But on the other it is written as a political statement to educate on the horrors of slavery. In writing both of these particular parts in tandem, Douglass has an interesting habit of keeping his voice and emotion out of the narrative, inserting them only at the rarest and most important of occasions through his tale. I find that Douglass separates himself so often from his own autobiography for several reasons. First of all, this habit keeps the cruel behavior of slaveholders somewhat fiction-like — as if they were done by some thought-up villain character instead of a real person — which helps his white audience from becoming defensive or too overpowered to finish. Secondly, it allows the horrible punishments and treatments done to the slaves to become practical instead of impassioned; the same as looking at a murder through the eyes of a doctor, instead of a family member of the victim. And lastly, by pushing himself so out of the picture for most of the story, when he does actually create an emotional environment for his readers, it has a huge impact. One of the best examples of this is when Douglass (as a small boy) watches his first owner strip and beat his aunt while he hides in the closet, terrified. This is one of the first turning points in Douglasss life. There are two or three other moments in the narrative where Douglass uses this emotional tool, and each one teaches an important lesson in his life, as well as introduces an ongoing theme. Douglasss main goal in writing his narrative is to inform educated white people who have never owned slaves of the evils of slavery and how slavery is achieved, and the themes he chooses aid both goals. The three main themes that he focuses on in his autobiography are: how education leads to a free life, how slavery is supported and even fed by religious zealots, and the damaging effect of slavery on those who own slaves.
Douglasss first and most central theme– freedom through education –is one he not only expresses throughout the entire work, but one he himself uses to gain freedom. When Douglass is a small child, he inherently knew that slavery is evil, but is often confused on how enslavement is continuously imposed. It was only when one of his masters, Mr. Auld, berates his wife for teaching Douglass how to read, does he understand that ignorance is the key to subjection. His master tells his wife that teaching slaves only makes it worse for them, and keeping slaves ignorant is, in fact, a kindness. Douglass understands then, and states “Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master.” The fact that he focuses on education is also a way to connect to Douglasss target audience. As a political statement, Douglass is hoping that highly educated white men are going to take the most interest in his work, and by including ignorance as the main tool of slavery he makes it accessible to his readers, who have worked hard to make themselves educated and respected. And Douglass– more so than other authors– has to work hard to seem empathetic to his audience. Even among many of those white men who didnt own slaves, slavery seemed like a natural part of American life. And for someone– let alone a black, and therefore inferior”, man– to question it would cause some to be skeptical. It is understood that Douglass, as a former slave, would be biased when writing an anti-slavery political statement. Understood, and perhaps even useful to his cause. But by being an educated man, and sounding it, he is able to break through part of the bias that surrounds his authorship. And through connecting with his audience over the cruelty of ignorance, he overcomes even more suspicion . It is through learning that many American men grow to be great, and this makes it easier for them to understand that ignorance is the true slave owner.
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