'From Bondage to Freedom (Fredrick Douglass)\r'

'From Bondage to Freedom In the early eld of thraldom, Frederick Douglass published a narrative that will be forever remembered in history. â€Å" archives of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is a recount of the acerb life on the plantations forrader his escape to New York. He describes the senseless acts of rigorousness on the part of the covers, as well as the degraded come finisheds of the strivers. This narrative provides a powerful translation how ignorance was used as a tool for striverry, the prejudicious effects on slaves and slave takeers, and the fellowship to the alley of freedom for African Americans.Although the journey that Douglass suffered through was large(p) and extensive, he made his mark in the globe and it is still appreciated today. Frederick Douglass was born in a slave cabin, in February, 1818, close to the town of Easton, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Frederick Douglass, whose full name is Frederick Augustus capital of the United Stat es Baily, was abandoned by his fix when he was effective a baby and then was raised by his grandparents. Douglass never knew his engender and according to him and nearly everyone, â€Å"… touch was alike whispered that my cut across was my father” his father figure was a white man ( NLOFD, 1).When Douglass was most the age of six, his grandmother took him to the plantation of his master and left over(p) him there. He stayed there with his master for ab step up ii years then he was relocated nearly the age of eight where he was sent to Baltimore to live as a Page 2 houseboy with Hugh and Sophia Auld, relatives of his master. not long after his arrival his new harlot taught him the alphabet. The lessons soon came to a cease when Hugh said â€Å" larn will spoil the best nigger in the world” (Chapter 6).When her husband forbade her to continue her instruction, because it was unlawful to ascertain slaves how to read, Frederick took it upon himself to learn . This marked the turning point when Frederick Douglass started to become a man. Frederick Douglass’ narrative was written to expose how ignorance was used as a tool for slavery. He shows how white slaveholders obligate slavery by salveing their slaves ignorant and absent to society. At the time Douglass was writing, m all people believed that slavery was a natural state of being.They believed that blacks were incapable of take part in civil society and thus should be kept as workers for whites. Mr. Auld, Douglass’ master, makes this evident by stating” A nigger should know nothing but to imitate his master-to do as he is told to do. ” Slave owners would keep slaves unaware of simple things such as redeem names and birth dates. Douglass shares his grief of not perspicacious his age by stating â€Å"A want of training concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me make up during childhood. The white children could tell their ages.I could not t ell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. I was not allowed to make any inquiries of my master concerning it. ”(Chapter 1) The master withheld this information because things like birthdays give a soul self-identity. Self-identity leads to self-worth, and this was not a desirable quality to produce in a slave if youre a slaveholder. They too controlled the language of the slaves by annihilating the mother tongue. This especial(a) the Page 3 communication between slaves and controlled fundamental interaction also kept uprising and revolt to a minimum.Literacy and formal pedagogics of slaves was not allowed . The more a slave knew about the language of another body politic the more he is able to move through all levels of that society. Slave owners believed that their captives would learn their secrets, and would be slaves no more. Slave owners could not fool a slave that knew their language, and being a fool is one of the staple ingredients to the conservation of the slavery system. Douglass reveals the damaging effects on slaves through various angles. He describes Aunt Hester’s brutal beating by Mr.Plummer most vividly stating â€Å"He then said to her, â€Å"Now, you dâ€â€d bâ€-h, Ill learn you how to disobey my enounces! ” and after ringlet up his sleeves, he commenced to lay on the tough cow skin, and soon the warm, red blood came drippage to the floor. ” The treatment of slaves as property is another payoff the author focuses on. He highlights that slave owners believed that their captives were not gracious and were not treated as such. He also describes how slaves were often passed between owners, and how family separation severed bonds. Douglass’ describes his own pain by expressing â€Å"I eceived the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should squander probably felt at the death of a stranger” (Chapter 1). Slaveholding was destructive not further to slaves but to slave owners as well since the flub power that the slave owner enjoyed over their slaves had a harmful effect on the slave owners chaste health. Before slavery corrupts Sophia Auld’s effectual nature, she is a kind, affectionate person. She is corrupted by slavery when her husband said to her â€Å"if you teach Page 4 that nigger how to read, there would be no retention him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave.He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master” (Chapter 6). This treatment of slave led the slave know down a path to destructive moral health that would not be accepted in today’s society. Just as slave owners deny slaves of acquaintance and education, slaves must seek education and knowledge in order to chase freedom. Douglass gains this knowledge by reading a keep called The Columbian Orator, which contains a philosophical discussion between a master and a slave. In the dialogue, the master lays out t he argument for slavery, and the slave disproves each point, eventually win over the master to free him.After Frederick Douglass reads The Colombian Orator, he realizes the accuracy about ignorance, freedom, and knowledge. Douglass writes, â€Å"It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that hurt me. There was no getting rid of it. […] The notes trump of freedom had roused my soul to eternal on the qui vive” (Chapter 7). Douglass also describes his path to freedom. He clarifies, however, that this section of the book does not describe the exact means of his escape. He does not want to give slave owners any information that would help them prevent other slaves from fleeing to the North.Though he does not give a physical definition of how to escape from slavery, he does inspire slaves to gain the knowledge to one day seek the path to freedom. The â€Å"Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass” shows how white slaveholders perpetuate slavery by keepi ng their slaves ignorant, the damaging effect of slaves, and also how slaves must seek knowledge and education in order to pursue freedom. The novel lets the readers Page 5 savor the cruelty and hardship of Douglass’ life. Douglass’ writing reminds people of the harsh reality of slavery, and what it takes to overcome the circumstances.\r\n'