Narrative of an American Slave

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses the book "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave". The writer looks at how this book describes the life of Frederick Douglas and discusses his life as a slave. The writer notes the hardships for such a slave, as the son of a black mother and a white master. The writer concludes that the book also describes how Frederick was chosen to go to Baltimore to serve in a household where he was taught how to read and write and he discovered that city slaves had more freedom than plantation slaves. Thus, the writer points out that Frederick's goal to become free was born and the means by which he was able do this was given him, unwittingly, by his Baltimore mistress.

Outline:
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Reference

From the Paper:

"His mother was a very dark-skinned black lady named Harriet Bailey, but his father was white, probably her master. Frederick was taken away from his mother at about one, and his mother was sent away. He saw her only four or five times more during his life, for short visits in the night, when she would sneak away and come on foot, at great risk, to see him. She died when he was about seven years old, but he was not allowed to be at her side and, since he did not know her, was not emotional upon learning of her illness and death.
Because the master was also his father, Frederick talks about how much harder it is on those slaves sired by the master, because of the master's wife and her jealousies. As a result, the master must be harder on his black sons and Frederick says that the white son might tie up the black son, his half-brother, and whip him, overseen by the man that fathered them both, unless this half-white son is sold away, as he was."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andrews, William L. and McFeely, William S., eds. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself. 1997, Baltimore: Norton Critical Edition.

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