Frederick Douglass - An American Slave

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how Frederick Douglass faced many challenges during his lifetime as a slave, growing up in a society that imposed stereotypical guidelines upon him - he was a slave, therefore he must never learn to read, never live equally as a free man, and certainly never speak out against slavery. By studying Douglass' autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave", published in 1845, this paper shows how Douglass made it is his life's purpose to find ways to either change laws, which he disagreed with, or to change his own life in spite of the legislation.

From the Paper:

"The abolishment of slavery was the sole desire and goal of Douglass, especially after he managed to escape from his masters. When he was young, he knew he did not want to remain a slave for life, and this was his lifelong battle. Despite the many cruelties and atrocities that he was witness to, it wasn't until he was beaten on a weekly basis by Mr. Covey that his spirit became somewhat diminished and broken. He was a field hand for the first time, and wasn't used to the work. When he would make mistakes, he would be beaten, and he became downtrodden in his quest for freedom. It was a battle with Mr. Covey, to which he had not been broken, that became "the turning-point in my career as a slave". (72) He had succeeded in renewing "the few expiring embers of freedom" and his sense of "manhood". (72) Douglass continued to be a slave for many more years, but all the while plotted his eventual escape."

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